Madras: P.V. Bakthavatchalam, advocate and noted human rights leader, President, Organisation for Civil and Democratic Rights (OCDR), on 13 Sept. was arrested at the Madras High Court campus.
Bakthavatchalam had announced that he would address a press conference to explain his organisation’s support for the cause of Tamil Eelam and this was dubbed anti-national.
On coming to know that he would be arrested, Bakthavatchalam sent word to Justice P.S. Mishra, officiating Chief Justice. The latter-called the advocate and the police officers to his chamber and sought from the police the reasons for Bakthavatchalam’s arrest. The police informed the Judge that the advocate was planning to hold a press conference, which had been banned. When the Judge advised Bakthavatchalam not to hold the press conference in his chamber, he said he had cancelled it. The police were unconvinced. Meanwhile, many arrests are being made in different parts of the state for alleged support to Tamil homeland (Elam).
