NEW DELHI, SEP 11: The Tamil Nadu Government has justified its decision to withdraw TADA and other charges against five detenues in the State in exchange of the matinee idol Rajkumar and three of his relatives, who are in captivity of forest-brigand Veerappan for over six weeks now.The stand of the State Government on the issue has been made clear in its counter-affidavit, filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, in response to a notice issued by the Court on a public interest petition filed by Dr B L Wadhera, questioning the authority of the State Government to withdraw the cases against the five TADA detenues.Though copies of the counter-affidavit were not made available to the press by Tamil Nadu counsel, V S pragasam, the State Government is believed to have taken the stand that it had power under section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code to withdraw any criminal charge against an accused in public interest.The notice and the petition was issued on September one by a three-judge bench, headed by Justice S P Bharucha, while admitting a special leave petition by Abdul Karim, challenging the decision of the Karnataka Government to release 30 associates of Veerappan and withdraw TADA case against 115 of his men.Abdul Karim was aggrieved of the impugned decision in view of the fact that his son was among 28 police oficials gunned down by the brigand and his men in 1992.The Court had then also issued notices to the Karnataka Government and the Centre on another public interest petition challenging the decision of the State Government.Later, on September four, another bench, headed by Chief Justice A S Anand, had asked the parties to complete their pleadings within ten days and then approach the Court for fixing early hearing in the matter.
