By IANS,
Chennai : MDMK leaders Vaiko and M. Kannappan, detained for allegedly making seditious speeches late last month, were released from judicial custody by a court here Thursday.
“The charges against me were wrong and false. I only expressed moral support to the Tamil cause (in Sri Lanka) and did not say anything against India’s unity and integrity. My stand has been more than vindicated,” Vaiko said upon release.
Magistrate S. Ravi ordered that the two leaders be released unconditionally after an official told the court that police investigations had been completed in the matter.
The court, however, told Vaiko to make himself available to the police and the court whenever necessary.
A party spokesman said: “Our leaders were released by a magistrate since the government side did not raise any objection to it or seek the extension of their judicial custody. Further, the prosecution side informed the court that its investigation was complete.”
MDMK workers who had gathered outside the court shouted slogans in support of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka and decrying political vendetta by the ruling DMK and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
Vaiko and Kannappan had made allegedly seditious speeches in support of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Oct 21. They were arrested under Section 124 (A) Indian Penal Code (sedition) two days later by the Q Branch of the Tamil Nadu police’s criminal investigation department that deals with extremist violence.