PMK urges Centre to release Rajiv case convicts

In a statement, Anbumani said that the state government had demanded the Centre to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case as they were languishing in prison for over 28 years. The Union government’s counsel had argued against the release of convicts in the Supreme Court, but Justice Ranjan Gogoi had refused to accept the arguments of the counsel and had directed the union government to consider the demands of the state government, said Anbumani.

“The Justice also said that the decision of the Union government to not release the seven convicts is not acceptable and they should no more be struggling in the prison. The statement of Ranjan Gogoi clearly indicates that the convicts were all innocents,” said Anbumani.  

He also said that the seven accused were changed into convicts based on several lapses in the CBI inquiry and one of the investigation officers, Thiagarajan, had confessed that he had not recorded the statement of Perarivalan in a fair manner which had led to the imprisonment of all seven convicts. The CBI, so far, had not found out the person who manufactured the bomb and because of them the seven innocents are in prison for 28 years. 

Anbumani also claimed that when actor Sanjay Dutt was sentenced for five years and was released 18 months before completing the full term, how can Perarivalan who bought a battery for reasons unknown can be kept in prison for 28 years.   “What is preventing the Centre from releasing them,” he asked.