Home department revokes detention order of activist

NAMAKKAL/SALEM: The Home, Prohibition and Excise department of Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday revoked the detention order of Namakkal based human rights activist N Mathialagan. He was arrested and detained under Goondas Act by Namakkal district collector V Dakshinamoorthy, a couple of months ago.
The deputy secretary of the department, A Muthukrishna Ramani, issued the order to revoke his detention, based on direction from the Goondas advisory board.
According to Poomozhi, state president of Tamil Nadu People Rights' Movement (TNPRM), the district administration arrested Mathialagan without any reason. "The police and district administration had personal motive to detain him under Goondas Act," he alleged. When they had approached the district collector seeking his explanation, he failed to respond satisfactorily, he added.
A caste clash had erupted between two groups in connection with a temple festival in Namakkal district on May 5. According to police, the Vanniyars clashed with the Chozhiya Vellalars, when one group organized the temple festival at Pothanur in Paramathi-Velur taluk. Police arrested several people including Mathialagan, for instigating the clash.
TNPRM cadres alleged that Mathialagan had been arrested only because he had filed several RTI queries. "He had nothing to do with the clash," said R Mukilan, Erode district organizer of Tamil Nadu Environmental Safety Movement.
When TNPRM approached the Namakkal district police for approval to conduct a protest over the issue, they were denied permission. Regardless, they tried to conduct a protest at the collectorate on June 4. Nallipalayam police arrested more than 100 protestors the same day.
On July 1, Poomozhi appeared before members of the Goondas advisory board committee and submitted written and oral representations. "After carefully examining the records, the advisory board expressed its unanimous opinion that there was no cause for Mathialagan to be detained," said Poomozhi. Subsequently, Tamil Nadu Governor revoked the detention order.
"The order copy has to be sent to prison officials and Mathialagan will be released on Thursday," Poomozhi said.