Press Release on Arrest of Scientist in Kerala under draconian laws

By Dilip -

Press Release; Jan 1, 2013; Chennai
We the undersigned professors, scientists, writers and rights activists are very much shocked to see the Kerala police picturing Mr.Gopal who was arrested at Mavelikara on December 29, 2012 along with six others as an extremist. Gopal was a former scientist in Atomic Research Centers in Kalpakkam and Mumbai. He is a well known civil rights activist in Tamilnadu and is an active member in the Committee for the Protection of Civil Rights (Tamil Nadu).
He was never arrested before and no charges or cases are pending against him. He never went underground and no such look out notice had been issued against him as described by the Kerala police and published in some news papers. We condemn Kerala police for spreading such an abuse against a reputed scientist and social activist.
We understand that out of the seven arrested, five of them are framed under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. We are much worried about the indiscriminate use of such a draconian preventive detention act against activists who have gathered in a hotel room to discuss some political issues of public interest.
We demand that the Kerala police should stop spreading abusive rumors against scientist Gopal and should apologize for having pictured him as an extremist and terrorist. We also demand that all those arrested in Mavelikara on 29th December should be released unconditionally and all the cases against them should be withdrawn. We also feel that a national debate should be initiated about such vindictive usage of UAPA against Human Rights and Social Activists all over India.
Prof.A.Marx, Peoples Union for Human Rights, Tamilnadu Chapter,
Ko.Sugumaran. Federation for Peoples Rights, Puduchery UT,
K. Manoharan (S.V.Rajadurai), Writer and Senior Human Rights Activist, TamilNadu,
Prof. Praba. Kalvimani, Association for the Protection for the Tribal Irulas, Tindivanam,
Prof. Dr. P. Sivakumar, Former Principal, Govt. Arts Colleges, TamilNadu,
V.Natarajan, Former Scientist, Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam,
Prof. M. Thirumavalavan, Former Professor of English, Govt. Arts Colleges, Tamilnadu,
Prof. S. Kochadai, Peoples Union for Civil liberties, Karaikudi,
Prabanjan, Eminent Tamil Writer, Chennai,
V. Geetha, Eminent Writer and Scholar, Chennai,
Advocate Rajini, Peoples Union for Human Rights, Madurai,
Advocate Manoharan, High Court, Chennai,
Dr. V. Pugalenthi, Medical Practitioner, Kalpakkam,
Venkat, Scholar, Madras Institute for Developmental studies, Chennai,
Advocate A. Mohamed Yusuff, National Secretary, NCHRO, Madurai,
S.Ramanujam, Writer and Translator, Chennai

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