Parvathi's deportation: Centre asked to file reply

The Madras High Court directed the Centre to submit its reply by Thursday on the matter of slain LTTE Chief Prabhakaran's mother being denied medical treatment and deported back to Malaysia recently. A PIL was filed by an advocate Karuppan recently after the immigration authorities denied permission to Prabhakaran's mother Parvathi Ammal to undergo medical treatment in Chennai and sent her back to Malaysia.

Stating that Parvathi was granted a visa for medical treatment for about 180 days by the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Karuppan alleged that the 80-year-old lady, suffering from paralysis, was deported by authorities without even allowing her to land in Chennai that day. "Denying her right to enter would be viewed as the most barbaric act," he said.

Karuppan also requested the court to issue an interim order directing the Ministry of Immigration to forthwith provide a special plane from Kuala Lumpur enabling Parvathi to fly down to Chennai for medical treatment. He also prayed the court to issue a writ of mandamus directing the Centre to never deport passengers with a valid visa from abroad and further direct it to bear Parvathi's entire medical costs.

When the petition came up before a division bench comprising Justices Elipi Dharmarao and K K Sasidharan, government's counsel G Desingu informed the court that it was a matter to be sorted out with the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government's name had been unnecessarily dragged. The judges accepted the argument and ordered to remove Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's name from the PIL. The judges adjourned the case after directing the Centre to file its reply within 24 hours.