CHENNAI, Feb 4 (UNI) In a significant ruling, Madras High Court today held that any direction given by the Review Committee, constituted by the centre to review the POTA cases, would be binding on state governments.
Delivering the much-awaited order, the first bench, comprising Chief Justice B Subhashan Reddy and Justice Sardar Zackaria Hussain, however, ruled that the power to withdraw the "partly heard" POTA cases was vested with public prosecutors and the special court, trying POTA cases, would be the ultimate arbitrator of the same.
The bench also upheld the jurisdiction of the Review Committee to review pending POTA cases, registered by various state governments.
The order was passed while disposing of a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government, seeking to set aside, the January 23 order of the Review Committee, dismissing its preliminary objections over the jurisdiction of the committee to review pending POTA cases.
