Swamy says released prisoners threatening his partymen

CHENNAI: Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy made an appearance at the Madras high court on Wednesday seeking a direction or an early hearing on his complaint that some of the convicts released from Tamil Nadu prisons prematurely were threatening Janata Party candidates in Madurai.
They were doing this at the behest of Union minister M K Alagiri, he said, noting that they were released on Annadurai's birth centennary with one of the preconditions that they should not participate in political activity.
Appearing before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam, Swamy said the court had admitted a writ petition earlier regarding the release of 1,405 convicts by the state government on the birth anniversary of former chief minister C N Annadurai.
Swamy said the matter regarding the release of convicts was previously admitted in court but remained pending as the judge on the Bench was transferred.
Government pleader Raja Kalifulla said he could not make a submission based on an oral observation but said it would be necessary for the petitioner to file an application. He added that the state government had already filed a counter-affidavit in the matter.
Responding to Swamy's plea for an early hearing or a direction to restrain the prisoners, the First Bench posted the matter to June 15, 2011.