Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on June 12 banned the 'Tamizhar Viduthalai Iyakkam' (TVI) or Tamil Freedom Movement, an extremist organisation headed by Suba Ilavarasan, under the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

The government had already banned three extremist outfits – Tamil National Liberation Army (TNLA), Tamil Nadu Retrieval Troops (TNRT) and Tamil Nationalist Movement (TNM).

According to top official sources, the ban comes in the wake of the TVI "indulging in unlawful activities, including rowdyism, causing damage to public property and extortion".

The government notification banning the organisation said that TVI members headed by Suba Ilavarasan had also allegedly indulged in various acts of violence and other offences like abduction, atrocities on scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, criminal intimidation and planting of bombs.

Members of the organisation also allegedly interfered in the administration and maintenance of law and order, thus posing a threat to public peace.

The existence and continuance of the TVI also constituted a danger to public peace, the notification said.

The organisation has been given 30 days time to appeal against the ban before a tribunal set up under the Act, the notification said.

PTI