NIA special court in Puducherry jailed 6 TNLA terrorists

Puducherry: A special NIA court here sentenced on Friday six terrorists of banned organisation TNLA to varying jail terms up to seven years for conspiring against Government of India to cause IED explosion using pipe-bombs, an official said.

Thiruselvam, Thangaraj, Kaviyarasan, Kalailingam, Karthik and John Martin, all residents of Tamil Nadu, were convicted and sentenced by the court.

The case was originally registered at Odiansalai police station in Puducherry and subsequently taken up by the Crime Branch. It was re-registered by the NIA which filed a chargesheet against the above six accused in September, 2014.

Thiruselvam, an active member of the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA), a proscribed terrorist organisation, was conducting a series of conspiracy meetings at Odaikkal village in Ramnad district at the residence of John Martin, besides at Siravayal village in Sivagangai district with associates Thangaraj, Kaviarasan, Kalailingam and Karthik.

The accused had conspired against Government of India to cause IED explosions using pipe-bombs.

The NIA special court in Puducherry held the above six accused guilty and convicted Thiruselvam, Kaviyarasan, Kalailingam, Karthik and John Martin to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3,500 each.

The court sentenced Thangaraj to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 3,000 under vsections of the IPC, the Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act.