The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Girl encounters diplomatic hurdle to meet her parents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Girl encounters diplomatic hurdle to meet her parents

A. Subramani

Judge issues notice to External Affairs Ministry

FIGHTING FOR HER CHILD: Nalini, an accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. — Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: : Thirteen-year-old Srikaran Megara is eager to meet her parents, but the External Affairs Ministry is the hurdle.

A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court for orders.

Her parents, Murugan alias Srikaran and Nalini, have been in jail for the past 14 years.

They were found guilty in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and sentenced to death.

However, while the death sentence of Nalini was commuted to life term, Murugan's mercy petition was dismissed by the Tamil Nadu Government.

Both were arrested on June 14, 1991.

Megara, a Standard IX student in Sri Lanka, was born in the Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital on January 21, 1992.

Indian citizenship

When the girl was six years old, Murugan's mother came to India, completed legal formalities and took her to Sri Lanka after making an endorsement in Magera's passport. Magera is yet to renounce her Indian citizenship.

Nalini has filed a writ petition in the High Court, stating that the child was eager to meet the parents after eight years. She applied to the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka for visa in April 2004, but no decision was taken.

"When my mother-in-law visited the Indian High Commission in Colombo, she was told that the application was sent to the External Affairs Ministry. As and when the Ministry approved the application, the girl would be granted visa."

Fruitless efforts

Nalini said she and her husband addressed several representations to the authorities but received no reply.

A letter sent through the Guild of Service on January 24, 2004 evoked a response — "reply will be sent if there is any development."

When the matter came up before Justice P.D. Dinakaran on Wednesday, counsel for the petitioner S. Duraisamy submitted that there was no reason to deny visa to Magera as she had all required documents.

Mr. Justice Dinakaran ordered notice to the Ministry of External Affairs, returnable by four weeks.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu