The Madras high court on Thursday dismissed a petition from a 50-year-old Sri Lankan national, who was an accused in the Chennai airport bomb blast case in 1984, seeking the removal of adverse remarks in the records of the Chennai airport and the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka and the lookout circular (LOC) issued against him in India.
“Considering that the petitioner is a foreigner, his right, if any, is subject to restrictions imposed by the central government,” said Justice K. Chandru, who dismissed the petition filed by N. Saravanapavan, a student of the Madras Medical College since 1988.
“The prayer of the petitioner to withdraw the LOC could not be countenanced, especially in the context of the stand taken by the government that it is in the nature of surveillance done by it over a foreigner,” said the judge.
The fundamental rights of citizens of India to move freely throughout the country could be restricted by reasonable restrictions. It was open to the Centre to restrict the movement of a foreigner to India as well as the place of residence and ambit of movement, the judge said.
Saravanapavan entered India in 1988 under student visa for studying MBBS course and joined the MMC. He was an accused in the Chennai airport bomb blast case in 1984 and was sentenced to under go life imprisonment in 1987.
However, he was acquitted of all charges by the high court in April 2000. Contending that the LOC was causing hindrance to his hassle-free travel between Sri Lanka and India, he filed the present petition.