Madurai: The state general secretary of the Tamizhar Desiya Iyakkam (P Nedumaran's Tamil National Movement) K Paranthaman, was arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) from his residence at Manamadurai in Sivaganga district, early on September 18 morning.

Police said a team, led by assistant commissioner Durairaj and inspector Prabhakaran, searched the house of Parantham for more than two hours and seized "cash receipts for collecting money to oppose POTA in the courts and outside courts".

The reason for arrest was that he had openly supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during a press conference held at Chennai on August 20.

The police searched the house in the presence of Paranthaman's son, village administrative officer and a village headman and took their signatures for the seizures made.

Paranthaman was taken to Chennai for being produced before the POTA court located at Poonthamalee, in the outskirts of Chennai, police said.

Nedumaran, a staunch supporter of the LTTE, was detained under POTA on August 1 for his speech at a "Tamils Right to Live" conference, held at an indoor auditorium in Chennai on April 13.

PTI