The Attorney General on Wednesday objected to interim relief being granted to Mr. and Mrs. V. Jeseekaran who are at present in remand custody, on a suspicion of helping the LTTE.

Senior State Counsel, yesterday told the Supreme Court that, the first petitioner Mr. Jeseekaran is accused of being in the LTTE intelligence branch. The second petitioner, his wife is accused of aiding and abetting her husband. The first petitioner had donated money to the LTTE fund. Both are indicted in the Colombo High Court, under the Prevention of Terrorism Laws.

J. C. Weliamuna, counsel for the petitioners said that the petitioners had been tortured and their statements recorded under duress. Hence there could not be a genuine case agaisnt them.

The Court granted leave to proceed on the allegations of illegal arrest, illegal detention and torture, by the respondent officers of the Terrorist Investigation Unit.

The application for interim relief, to get the petitioners released is to be supported later, after the indictment papers are submitted for the perusal of the Supreme Court.

The Bench comprised, Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Justice Saleems Marsoof and Justice K. Sripavan.