Chennai: Tamil Nadu government’s request to release all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case has been rejected by President Ram Nath Kovind. The President has conveyed to the state government that the “Centre doesn't concur with the state's views”.
The state government says it will fight the case. State law minister CV Shanmugam, said, “Amma (Jayalalithaa) always wanted the release of the seven convicts. She had also passed a resolution in the state assembly back in 2014, giving the Centre a three-day ultimatum for the release of the convicts. The Centre had then moved the Supreme Court. Since the case is still pending before the court, we will take all actions possible to ensure the release of all seven convicts.”
One of the convict’s family has even asked for mercy killing.
Convict Perarivalan’s mother broke down while talking to News 18 and said, "If the Centre is not ready to release him, then they should grant him (Perarivalan) mercy killing inside the jail. I will write to both the state and the Centre about this. He has done nothing. Yet, he has been in the prison for so long. I'm tired of fighting for my son's release. If in 27 years they didn't release him, I don’t think they will ever release him. Why should he suffer a slow death? Instead, let the Centre just grant him mercy killing."
Nalini Sriharan, sentenced to life, had sought parole for six months for her daughter’s wedding but was not granted the same. Her lawyer, Radha Krishnan, said that the state government is not going by the rule book. She said, "When there is an option to release the convicts through Article 161, why is the state government not following it.”
Hari Parandaman, a retired Madras High Court judge, said: “Rahul Gandhi himself had said that he has pardoned the convicts, but the political parties are only doing politics over it. Even the killer of Mahatma Gandhi was released after 16 years of imprisonment. The state government should use Article 161, as it has its own rights to release the convicts. The state government can take the required action in this case.”
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