Efforts will continue for release of 7 Rajiv murder convicts: Law Minister

The assurance comes at a time when President Ram Nath Kovind had rejected the state’s request for pre-mature release of those convicted in the case. Sources said Kovind has rejected the state’s request citing that the Centre has not concurred with the view of the state on the convicts V Sriharan alias Murugan, AG Perarivalan aka Arivu, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini.

Speaking to reporters, Law Minister CVe Shanmugam assured that the state would continue its efforts to get the Rajiv case convicts released.

Explaining the turn of events, the Minister said the state had earlier adopted a resolution in the Assembly and has forwarded the same to the Centre. “The Centre has meanwhile approached the Supreme Court against the state’s initiative. Certain guidelines were evolved through the case which is now pending before the apex court. The court also directed the Centre to provide its reply to the state within 3 months-time. We learnt through media reports that the President has rejected the mercy plea based on the Centre’s recommendations,” he said.

“Since the case is still pending before the Supreme Court, the state would present its arguments in support of the decision which was taken by former CM Jayalalithaa. The government which follows her footsteps would continue its efforts,” he added.

The decision to release the convicts was taken by Jayalalithaa in 2014 and the Ministry of Home Affairs had been sitting on the matter besides initiating the litigation.

The MHA has recently sought the state to furnish further details about the convicts on various socio-economic, physical and mental health indicators besides previous crime records.

This follows the direction issued, earlier in January, by the Supreme Court to the MHA that it had to decide on Tamil Nadu’s proposal to remit the sentences of the life-term convicts who had been languishing in the prison for more than 20 years.

The Union government could have killed my son and us instead of rejecting his mercy plea,” Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal told the media at Jolorpet on Friday.

Reacting to the President rejecting the mercy petition of her son, she said that the release of her son was now in the hands of the people. People should raise their voices for the release of all the seven convicts in the case she added. She wondered why the mercy petition was rejected when even Rahul Gandhi and other family members had clearly stated that they had forgiven those arrested in this case. When even the Congress government had released those who killed the Mahatma after 14 years, she wondered at the reason for the prolonged agony of the Rajiv case convicts. “I do not understand why this is happening when even the probe officer had told the court that Perarivalan was accused of purchasing the battery used in the bomb to strengthen the case. Initially he was accused of purchasing the bullets to kill the then PM,” she added.

DMK working president MK Stalin has stressed upon both the state and the Centre to take appropriate steps to release the convicts in the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, as they have been in prison for over 27 years.

In a statement on Friday, he said, “It is highly regrettable that the BJP at the Centre has denied release of these convicts including Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan and Nalini, who completed 27-years jail-term. While the AIADMK government on February 19, 2014, decided to release them and sent the resolution to the Centre for approval, the Centre, which remained passive for over four years has now rejected it, he added.

Terming the denial of release of convicts as ‘barbaric decision,’ Stalin said, “When the convicts have earlier gone for an appeal to release them, the top court in last January asked the state government to convey its decision within three months. Under these circumstances, the Centre, as usual, delayed the procedure and made such an announcement through the President of India.”

“It is a clear indication that the Centre is running away from its responsibility,” he said. According to CrPC, the central investigating agencies should seek opinion from Centre before it releases convicts. 

“There is no need for seeking opinion of President of India. In this particular issue, the Centre has rejected the appeal of the state government. Such decision seems to have taken with an ulterior motive and the Centre has complicated the issue,” the Leader of Opposition said, urging the state and Centre to apply corrective measures to release the seven persons.