Express News Service - CHENNAI
Maha Tamil Prabhakaran, a journalist, who was deported from Sri Lanka to India, after he was detained on charges of videographing the vital Army and Naval installations in the island nation, on Tuesday, denied that he had flouted the visa norms.
Speaking to media persons, Prabhakaran said he was moving around in the island like any other tourist from other countries would do and was taking pictures only on the spots where photography was allowed.
He maintained that he chose to travel by tourist visa since he did not want to stay under the radar of the intelligence wing.
Prabhakaran charged that he was illegally detained in the custody of the Defence forces , the local police and Terrorists Investigation Department(TID) for three days without being produced in any court.
Responding to a query on the agenda of his visit, Prabhakaran maintained that he wanted to prove that the claims of Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse that development works in the former LTTE province were progressing rapidly after the post- Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
“I wanted to gather supporting footages which will be exposed before the international community and in United Nations”, he rued. He added that he would release the footages and other documentary evidences at the right time.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Tamil-Journo-Deported-by-SL-Denies-Visa-Violation-Charge/2014/01/01/article1976134.ece
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