Monday, September 5 2005 13:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) yesterday (Sept 4, 2005), sought the release on bail of more than 250 Muslim remand prisoners who were arrested in connection with the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blast and other related cases.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the party's two-day executive committee meeting, which ended here yesterday (Sept 4, 2005), TMMK Secretary M Tamimum Ansari said in a press release.

These people were languishing in prison for more than seven years and trials in various cases were progressing at a slow pace, the resolution said.

Denial of bail for these prisoners 'is in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution' and contrary to the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court in the Shaheen Welfare Trust Case, he claimed.

Another resolution demanded immediate suspension of DIG Prisons, Ezra and Coimbatore Prison Range DIG Illavarasan for their alleged 'human rights violation' against People's Democratic Party Chairman Abdul Nasar Mahdhani, who is also an accused in the cases and a remand prisoner, and wanted the state government to initiate penal proceedings against both.