Chennai: A designated Prevention Of Terrorist Act (TADA) court on April 21 rejected bail pleas by Tamil Nationalist Movement (TNM) leader P Nedumaran and three other movement functionaries, who have been detained under the anti-terrorist law for allegedly speaking in favour of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ever since August 1, 2002.

The others whose bail applications were dismissed by special POTA Judge L Rajendran were the movement's general secretary Subba Veerapandian and Thayappan and Pudukotai Pavannan both TNM activists.

The Q Branch of Tamil Nadu police has charged them under section 21(2) of POTA for speaking in support of the LTTE at a meeting in Chennai on April 13, 2002.

PTI