New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the release of all six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan, in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The SC said that if the Governor did not take steps, then we are taking it. It said the order for the release of convict Perarivalan would be applicable to the rest of the convicts as well.
The supreme court’s verdict came on a plea seeking premature release of convicts Nalini and R P Ravichandran.
During the hearing, the Tamil Nadu government filed an affidavit in the apex court supporting the premature release of rajiv Gandhi’s assassination convicts.
Nalini Sriharan and RP Ravichandran had challenged the Madras High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court. The pleas of the convicts were dismissed by the Madras High Court on June 17. Both the convicts, in their plea, had sought their release citing the apex court order to release A G Perarivalan.
Those whose release has been ordered are Nalini, Ravichandran, Murugan, Santhan, Jayakumar, and Robert Payas.
“Conduct in jail has also been taken into account,” the Supreme Court said in the judgment. The fact is that he has spent more than 30 years in jail. The decision of the state cabinet is binding on the governor, but the governor did not take action for four years.