Up to seven Tamil Nadu students are reported to have been arrested over protests against the newly released film, 'Kaththi'.
The film, which is accused of having been funded by a company with links to the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has seen protests and boycott calls.
According to the student group, Tamil Youth and Students Federation, the group's head coordinator, Pirabhakaran was arrested alongside Piratheep from the Matram Student and Youth Forum on October 23rd.
Sembiyan, one of the 8 Loyola College students who fasted in March 2013 calling for an international independent investigation into the genocide of Eelam Tamils sparking mass protests across the state, was also amongst those arrested.
The TYSF said the arrested students have been accused of burning down Sathyam theatre. The students deny being responsible for this.
“We all only feel proud that we are in prison for the benefit of the nation," the detained student, Pirabhakaran, reportedly told his fellow students when they came to visit him in prison.
Related articles:
Film producers deny links to Rajapaksa amid boycott calls in Tamil Nadu (17 Sep 2014)
Tamil Nadu students protest against pro-Sri Lanka films (09 Aug 2014)
Also see our earlier interviews with the student organisations in our post:
Tamil Nadu activists speak out (16 November 2013)
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