Tension mounts in Kerala ahead of Madani's arrest

Prohibitory orders were clamped in and around the camp of People's Democratic Party leader Abdul Nasser Madani at Anwarssery near Kollam on Saturday as tension prevailed with a large number of his supporters gathering there anticipating his arrest in connection with the Bengaluru serial blasts case.

The Kollam district administration imposed restrictions under Indian Penal Code Section 144 as a Karnataka police team awaited the nod from the Kerala government to execute the arrest warrant against Madani.

Meanwhile, the PDP leader filed a petition in the Karnataka high court seeking quashing of the chargesheet against him and further proceedings in the case.

"Madani filed the petition yesterday (on Friday) and it is likely to come up for consideration either on August 16 or 17," his counsel P Usman said in Bengaluru on Saturday.

In Anwarssery, the police lobbed two teargas shells to disperse a crowd in the area. The situation is now under control, police said.

The ban orders were enforced in Mainagapally and nearby Sasthacottah panchyats.

A strong police contingent under Kollam Superintendent of Police Harshita Attalluri is camping in the area. Besides, additional forces of the Special Armed Battalion had been sent to the area.

The Karnataka police team had been camping in Kollam for the last five days to arrest Madani, listed as an accused in the 2008 Bengaluru blasts case in which a woman was killed and 20 others injured.

Madani's anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Karnataka high court last week.

The PDP leader was also an accused in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts case but was acquitted later. The serial blasts, hours before senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani was to address an election meeting, had left 58 people dead.