The Tamil Nadu Cabinet, in a passing resolution, recommended the release of the seven convicts in the 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassination case after the Supreme Court of India passed the decision onto the hands of the Governor.
The proposal is all set to be received by the the office of Governor Banwarilal Purohit. The convicts, namely, V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santham, A G Perarivalan alias Arivu, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, P Ravichandaran and Nalini have been in jail for the past 25 years.
“Tamil Nadu cabinet recommends release of seven convicts of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The recommendation will be sent to the TN governor immediately,” state minister D Jayakumar said, ANI reported.
Earlier in March 2016, the state government had given a proposal of release of the convicts and sought the government of India’s response. Last month, the latter had replied by stating that their release would be “a dangerous precedent” and have “international ramifications”.
On Thursday, a bench consisting of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Naveen Sinha and KM Joseph disposed the government of India’s petition opposing the move and asked the Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan.
Perarivalan had filed the petition under Article 161 of the Indian Constitution, seeking pardon from the Governor. He had been charged with supplying a 9-volt battery that was allegedly used for the belt bomb that had killed Gandhi and 14 others.
Although the bench had only asked to consider Perarivalan’s petition, the state government had decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also sought premature release, Jayakumar said.
