Tamil Nadu Govt Decides to Release Rajiv Gandhi Assassins

Supporters of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi follow his coffin during the funeral procession in New Delhi on May 24, 1991. (Photo: Reuters)

Tamil Nadu Government on Wednesday said it has decided to remit the sentence of life imprisonment of all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and release them. The Jayalalithaa-led government also sought the Centre’s views on the move.

In a letter to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi today, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K Gnanadesikan said the state government has received petitions from the seven convicts requesting it to release them as they had spent more than 20 years in prison.

The convicts are V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, A G Perarivalan alias Arivu, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini.

Nalini has also filed a writ plea in Madras High Court requesting the government of Tamil Nadu to release her. The Government of Tamil Nadu after taking into consideration the petitions of the seven convicts has decided to remit the sentences of life imprisonment and to release the seven persons since all of them have already served imprisonment for 24 years.

<b> K Gnanadesikan, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary</b>

Out of the seven convicts, V Sriharan, T Suthendraraja, Jayakumar and Robert Payas are Sri Lankans.