Supreme Court orders release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts

The Supreme Court on Nov. 11 ordered premature release of Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna said the judgement of the top court in the case of A G Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the case, is applicable in their matter. Under Article 142 of the Constitution, the supreme court had on May 18, ordered the release of Perarivalan, who had served over 30 years in jail. After Perarivalan was released from prison for his academic excellence and good conduct during his three decade long sentence, the remaining convicts demanded a similar reprieve. Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally. The Supreme Court on Friday directed the release of six accused, including Nalini and RP Ravichandran, serving life imprisonment in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.