CM questions DMK on steps taken to free Rajiv case convicts

Addressing newspersons, he said, “The opposition is now staging a human chain demonstration in Chennai, but I don’t understand what they were doing all these years particularly during the DMK regime.”

The Left parties, PMK, VCK, AMMK took part in the human chain protest seeking release of the seven life convicts in Chennai on Saturday. Arputhammal, mother of A G Perarivalan, said that the Supreme Court and the state Assembly had passed orders paving way for their release, but TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit is sitting on the files for the past six months. “The Raj Bhavan should take immediate steps to release the convicts,” she said.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who is part of the AIADMK- BJP alliance for the Lok Sabha polls, also participated in the protest.

Life convicts Murugan and his wife Nalini met for an hour after a gap of a month at the women’s prison in Vellore on Saturday.

Though the Madras High Court had ordered that they can meet once a month, the right to meet was temporarily withheld following an indefinite fast by the couple demanding the release of all the seven convicts involved in the case.

While Murugan started the fast first without notice, his wife Nalini joined him three days later in women’s prison. As they refused to abandon their stir, their perks including meeting each other and visitors once a month were withdrawn.

Murugan ended his fast after DIG Jayabharathy held talks with him following which he expressed his willingness to stop if jail officials allowed parole facility for Nalini and if men’s jail officials did not break the lock of the small temple inside the prison under the guise of searching banned material.

Murugan broke the fast on DIG Jayabharathy accepting his conditions.  Murugan and Nalini last met on February 2. They met again on Saturday when Murugan under heavy police escort was taken to the women’s prison around 9.30 am and spent time with his wife for one hour after which he was escorted back to the men’s prison.