Film-maker booked under NSA

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Prime VIP
Chennai, July 17

Film director and leader of the "Naam Thamizhar" We Tamils), Seeman, was detained under the National Security Act today on charges of making an inflammatory speech inciting Tamil youths against Sinhalese students and Buddhist monks living here.

A special team of the Chennai police served the detention order on Seeman who is presently lodged in the central prison at Vellore. He was arrested by the North Beach police on charges for his speech during a demonstration here last week to condemn the frequent attacks on Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Police said Seeman was detained for making speeches that were against the interests of national integrity and could disrupt maintenance of harmony.

This is the second time, Seeman was detained under NSA as he was booked arrested under the same Act in February 2009 and was was released by the Madras High Court.

Earlier, a session court in the city denied bail to Seeman and said, "Seeman referred to Sinhalese students and had made an inflammatory speech that had the likelihood of even causing danger to their lives. A reading of Seeman's entire speech showed that it was provocative and inflammatory in nature, and would create disharmony and insecurity between two groups on the ground of race and place of birth.”

The court accepted the contention of the public prosecutor who said the director had claimed that he had the details of every Sinhalese in Tiruppur and Egmore. He threatened to harm Sinhalese in case of any further firing or attack on Tamil fishermen, the prosecutor said.
 
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