Delhi HC tribunal upholds extension of five-year ban on LTTE

NEW DELHI: A Delhi High Court tribunal has upheld the government's decision to extend a five-year ban imposed on the LTTE, saying the group continues to be a threat to India's sovereignty and territorial integrity and it is still indulging in activities prejudicial to integrity and security of the country.

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The tribunal comprising Delhi High Court Judge Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed that the objective of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for a separate homeland (Tamil Eelam) for all Tamils threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. It amounts to the cession and secession of a part of the territory of India from the Union and thus falls within the ambit of unlawful activities, the tribunal observed. In the final conclusion, the tribunal observed that "it is of the opinion that there is sufficient and cogent material on record for declaring LTTE as an Unlawful Association within the mandate of the Act (UAPA)".