New Delhi: In a significant development, the POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) Review Committee today (November 13) issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Government to show cause whether the arrest of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) supremo Vaiko and Tamil daily Nakkeeran's Editor R R Gopal was fit and proper under the Act.

The 3-member Committee, headed by retired High Court judge A B Saharya, directed the Tamil Nadu Government to respond to the notice by December 2 and also place before it all relevant materials pertaining to the case.

Vaiko has been in prison for more than a year after he was arrested under POTA for allegedly supporting banned organisation Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"The Committee considered entire material placed before it and decided to issue a notice of show-cause to Tamil Nadu Government in these two cases," the chairman of the Committee, Justice Saharya, told reporters after the conclusion of two-day meeting.

The meeting, fourth of its kind after the constitution of the Committee, was attended by its two other members – Arvind S Inamdar, retired IPS officer, and M U Rehaman, a retired IAS officer.

The Committee said in the Vaiko case, the FIR has named nine accused and the show-cause notice to the State Government was for each of them.

The POTA Committee said if Tamil Nadu Government fails or defaults in replying it will proceed with the available materials.

Asked whether it was a prima facie view or conclusion that slapping POTA against Vaiko was not proper and fit, Justice Saharya said, "We would not like to comment any further."

PTI