Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to release six convicts serving life sentences in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, including Nalini Sriharan and RP Ravichandran. It is a “victory of strong legal battles and humanity,” according to Stalin, as well as a “victory of democratic theory.”
“Following Perarivalan, the Supreme Court has released six people including Nalini – a victory of our strong legal battles and humanity! It is a victory of democratic theory and that the government’s decisions should not be shelved by those in appointed positions!”, Stalin tweeted.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court released S Nalini, Jaykumar, RP Ravichandran, Robert Pias, Suthendraraja, and Sriharan, all of whom were serving life sentences in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The court found them to have good jail behaviour, and all of them had obtained various degrees during their confinement.
The top court also noted that the Tamil Nadu cabinet had recommended their release on September 9, 2018, following the May 2018 release of convict AG Perarivalan, one of the case’s convicts.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna ruled that the court’s decision in the Perarivalan case is equally applicable in their case.
“In so far as the applicants before us are concerned, their death sentences were commuted to life on account of delay…We direct that all the appellants are deemed to have served their sentence…The applicants are thus directed to be released unless required in any other case,” the bench said.
Rajiv Gandhi, the country’s youngest prime minister at the age of 40, was assassinated on May 21, 1991, during a poll rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, by a female suicide bomber.