Madurai: A city court has rejected Prevention of Terrorist Act (POTA) detenu P Nedumaran's pleas that the state government had no power to prosecute him and that the court had no jurisdiction to handle the case.

Rejecting the pleas of the banned Tamil Nationalist Movement leader, who was arrested for speaking in support of the banned LTTE at a meeting in Madurai in 1992, the Tiruchendur judicial magistrate Paldurai on October 10 posted the case for next hearing to Oct 24.

Nedumaran, who was produced before the court, contended that only the Central government had the power to prosecute him in the case.

Nedumaran is presently lodged at the Cuddalore prison.

Nedumaran's lawyer Subburathinam told reporters at Tiruchendur on October 10 that a revision petition would be filed in the Tuticorin district and sessions court.

PTI