Madras High court today condoned the delay of 536 days in 're-presenting' the revision plea of Sri Lankan Minister Douglas Devananda against a lower court order which quashed his plea to recall a non-bailable warrant and permit him to attend court proceedings through video conferencing.
Justice T S Sivagnanam condoned the delay and posted the matter to next week.
Devananda was declared a proclaimed offender and absconding accused by a sessions court for a shootout-cum- murder in Chennai in 1986.
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In November 1986, Devananda, then a member of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Front in Lanka, and nine others were charged with opening fire with automatic weapons at locals in Choolaimedu in central Chennai, injuring five persons.
One person later succumbed to his injuries. Devananda and others were charged with murder, attempt to murder, rioting and unlawful assembly in the case.
As Devananada failed to appear in court proceedings, the trial court in June 1994 issued a NBW. He moved the High Court in 2010 against the trial's court order but his plea was dismissed.
He approached the trial court for recalling the warrant and dispensing with his appearance after his plea for anticipatory bail too was dismissed as withdrawn. This was dismissed in October 2012.
When the case came up today, counsel for Devananada submitted a petition saying though Devanananda had asked the counsel to immediately file a revision petition, "The revision paper was mixed with other case papers and now only the same is traced."
Stating that the delay was neither wilful nor wanton, he asked the court to condone the delay because it occurred because of "bonafide" reasons.
