Journalist terror charges dropped

RR Gopal (right) with Veerappan

The high court in the India's southern city of Madras has dropped terrorism charges against a high-profile regional journalist, RR Gopal.

Mr Gopal, editor of the weekly Nakeeran magazine, was charged in 2003 with illegally possessing a weapon.

He spent eight months and prison but was later released on bail.

He was the first journalist in India to be charged under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) which has since been repealed.

He was arrested in connection with the killing of a police informer, allegedly by the bandit Veerappan.

Opposition parties, journalists and human rights activists in Tamil Nadu condemned the arrest.

Mr Gopal became well known after he recorded a video-interview with Veerappan - at the time India's most wanted outlaw - in 1996.