Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: A relentless mother fights for her son

“That was the last I saw of my son as a free man. I have endured the pain for 27 years. Arivu has spent all his youth in prison. Even Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have no problem with his release. Everyone except the centre are vouching for his release,” 72-year-old Arputhammal told DT Next as Arivu is all set to enter his 28th year in prison on Monday.

The unrelenting mother, who made it her motto to walk up and down the corridors of the court and secretariats between the numerous hunger strikes and human chains she had participated in all these years, blames the centre for her son’s prolonged incarceration. “There is no legal hurdle to his release. The state government has promised to honour the decision of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, but the union government has been delaying his release. The three-month deadline set by the Supreme Court ended in April. The centre is yet to file its reply in the Supreme Court,” she said.

Attending her ailing septuagenarian husband, Kuyilthasan, in the confines of their nondescript household in Jolarpet, which hosted visitors of various hues during the two months that Arivu was out on parole, a perturbed Arputhammal even blamed the apex court, “Even the courts have not been helpful. The Supreme Court should put an end to the frequent adjournments in the case. The court will resume after vacation next week. I will not be surprised if the centre seeks another adjournment in the next hearing.”

“My son is innocent. He never sought amnesty. Even the investigating officer admitted to have recorded a false confession and the judge who delivered the verdict in the case had conceded that he had delivered a wrong verdict and vouched for Arivu’s release. He has been the most disciplined inmate in prison. The centre can inquire about his conduct with every prison officer. The court can take a decision only if the centre files its reply,” remarked Arputhammal who pleaded the Modi government to end its indifference in her open letter released a few days ago.