New Delhi, Nov 11: A special tribunal, headed by the Delhi High Court judge, has upheld government's notification of continuing ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for another two years. Union Home Ministry on May 15, 2008 issued a notification declaring the LTTE as an unlawful association. This was upheld by the tribunal on Monday, Nov 10.

Delhi High Court Justice Vikramjit Sen, who was heading the special tribunal, constituted under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, said there was sufficient evidence against the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels to justify the extension of ban. The LTTE is a militant group waging a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s to create a separate Tamil state in the northern and eastern part of the island nation. The group, led by V Prabhakaran, has been declared as a terrorist outfit by several countries. The LTTE is alleged to be involved in the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 and the group has been banned by India since 1992.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P P Malhotra, while appearing before the tribunal, contended that although the LTTE was based in Sri Lanka, it had sympathisers and agents on the Indian soil and there was urgent need to continue the ban.

UNI