Chennai, Feb 19 – Seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, including Nalini, would be freed, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said on Wednesday.
Announcing the government’s decision in the assembly, Jayalalithaa said the government would release V.Sriharan alias Murugan, A.G. Perarivalan alias Arivu, T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Nalini, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran, reported IANS.
All the seven are convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday commuted the death sentence to Murugan, Perarivalan, and Santhan citing an 11-year delay in deciding their mercy petitions.
The decision to release them was taken in the cabinet meeting held Wednesday.
Jayalalithaa said the state government’s decision will be sent to the centre. If it does not respond within three days, the state government would release all the seven convicts.
MDMK chief Vaiko said it was “a bold and historic decision by Jayalalithaa”.
Rajiv Gandhi was killed in May 1991. The conspirators were convicted by a TADA court in January 1998 and were awarded death sentence, which was confirmed by the apex court May 11, 1999.
-India Today
