State confident of Guv ’s nod for release of 7 convicts

Addressing reporters here, the senior AIADMK leader said, “The Governor should respect the sentiments of Tamil people and we are confident that he will take a good decision.” Sounding a similar view, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran asked not to politicise the issue as demanded by Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal. The Supreme Court has directed that the state can decide on the release of convicts. In this case lets’ hope that all the seven are released soon, Dhinakaran said.

Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan denied media reports that the Governor has written to the Union Home Ministry seeking the Union government’s opinion on the release of seven convicts. However, the Governor office remained non-committal on any timeframe to address the issue.

TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarasar said that the Governor by now would have signed the papers releasing the Rajiv convicts if there were legal provisions for the release.

In a related development, a couple of family members, who lost their dear ones in the Sriperumbudur bomb blast, have objected to the proposed release of the seven convicts. S Abbas, who lost his mother Shanthini Begum in the Sriperumbudur blasts and retired police officer Anusuya Daisy Ernest, who survived the blast, also urged the state not to release the convicts.

According to Article 161 of the Constitution, the Governor is the executive head of the state and is bound to act on the advice of the cabinet in matters related to prisoners. He can send back the proposal for reconsideration, but if the same proposal is made again, the office of Governor is bound to accept it.

It may be noted that on September 9, the state Cabinet led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami recommended the release of all the seven Rajiv assassination case convicts, including Nalini and her husband Sriharan alias Murugan. All the seven prisoners are in jail since 1991. Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a blast at an election rally in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.