Rajiv Gandhi assassination | Business Upturn

After SC orders release, Perarivalan’s family turns emotional

United News of India (UNI) — Wed, 18 May 2022 07:04:31 +0000

Chennai, May 18: Minutes after the Supreme Court ordered release of A.G.Perarivalan, one of the seven life convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, emotional scenes were witnessed at his Jolarpettai residence in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Perarivalan, his mother Arputhammal, father Kuildasan and his family members and relatives were moved to tears as the Supreme Court, in a rare case, invoked its extraordinary powers to do complete justice under Article 142 of the Constitution ordered the release of Perarivalan, ending his long incarceration for over 30 years. The family members of Perarivalan, who was on bail to aid his ailing father, celebrated his release by distributing sweets and by hugging each other, as the family turned emotional. Locals also joined the celebrations as Perarivalan himself distributed sweets to the people.

Perarivalan’s parents expressed happiness over his release and thanked all those who stood by them in the prolonged legal battle. “it’s a victory for a mother’s three decade long legal battle to secure her son’s release”, political leaders said. “I am extremely happy”, Kuildasan told reporters. “I thank all those who supported us in our long legal battle”, he said. Arputhammal told reporters that her son’s release marked the culmination of a 31-year-long battle. “I am at a loss of words…I don’t know what to say”, she said. She thanked the Tamil Nadu government and Chief Miniser M.K.Stalin for granting parole. And the High Court for releasing him on bail. She also thanked leaders of all political parties for supporting her son’s release. Peraraivalan, while talking to reporters, said “the truth and justice is on our side.

The strong confidence that I did not commit any wrongdoing gave the strength for me and my mother to win this legal battle”. “My mother was my strength and it helped us win this legal battle”, he said and thanked his parents for having stood with him for 30 years during my incarceration in Vellore jail. He also thanked the media, police and all those who supported him. He also recalled the submission given by a police officer before the CBI in 2013 that he had failed to record the statement of Perarivalan that he was innocent. Leaders of various political parties, including MDMK General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko, CPI leaders D.Raja and Mutharasan, Congress leader Su.Thirunavukkarasar, CPI-M leaders, BJP State Chief K.Annamalai, Tamil Nationalist Movement leader Pazha Nedumaran hailed the Apex Court order.

They also demanded that the remaining six convicts should also be released in line. With the Supreme court order. Which had said Perarivalan’s order is applicable to them also. It may be recalled that the State Cabinet had on on September 9, 2018. Recommended to the then Governor Banwarilal Purohit that all seven be released under Article 161 of the Constitution. The convicts–Nalini, T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Sriharan alias Murugan (Nalini’s husband), A.G. Perarivalan alias Arivu, Robert Payas, S. Jayakumar alias Jayakumaran, and Ravichandran alias Ravi–have been in jail for over 30 years. Santhan, Murugan, Payas and Jayakumar are Sri Lankan Tamils. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a LTTE human bomb Dhanu at an election rally in Sriperumbudur, about 40 km from Chennai on May 21, 1991. Fifteen others, including nine policemen, were killed in the explosion and 43 people were injured.

The Special Investigation Team which probed the assassination had filed chargesheet against 41 accused, of whom 26 were tried. A dozen LTTE operatives, including one of the masterminds Sivarasan and his accomplice Shuba, committed suicide. Three were declared absconders. While the trial court awarded death penalty to all the 26 accused. The Supreme Court released 19 of them and upheld capital punishment for Nalini, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan. And commuted the death sentence to life in the case of three others. In April 2000, Governor Fathima Beevi commuted Nalini’s death sentence. While the remaining three black warrant prisoners obtained a reprieve from the Supreme Court in February 2014. Citing inordinate delay by the President in deciding on their mercy petitions.

Supreme Court orders release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination suspect AG Perarivalan

Aryan Jakhar — Wed, 18 May 2022 06:27:02 +0000

Invoking powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court ordered the release of AG Perarivalan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The Supreme Court decided that the Governor’s excessive delay in resolving Perarivalan’s early release petition under Article 161 justified his release.

Perarivalan, who had spent more than 30 years in prison, complained to the court about the delay in his release. Despite the Tamil Nadu government’s request to commute his sentence in 2018. The case saw a judicial battle over. Who had the proper authority to decide the remission plea: the President or the Governor.

The Tamil Nadu State Cabinet decided to award remission to Perarivalan on relevant factors. According to a bench led by Justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai. The Court further stated that the governor of Tamil Nadu’s excessive delay in exercising his duties under Article 161 of the Constitution can be challenged in court. It refused to accept the Union Government’s argument that. The President had sole authority to award remission in cases involving Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Arguing that otherwise, the Governor’s powers under Article 161 would become otiose. The State Government is well within its authority. Hence, according to the Bench, to assist and advise the Governor in pardon/remission petitions involving murder convictions.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict, Nalini Sriharan, allegedly committed suicide in Vellore prison

Akul Puri — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 07:37:12 +0000

Nalini Sriharan, one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, allegedly committed suicide last night. She had been lodged in Vellore women’s prison since last 29 years now and decided to kill herself last night, said her lawyer.

In his response to this astounding news, her lawyer, P. Pugalenthi, claimed that this is the first time that Sriharan has even tried to take such an extreme step. In an exclusive interview with India Today Tv, the lawyer talked further about the incident.

There was an alleged quarrel between Nalini and another inmate, also convicted to life imprisonment. The other inmate took the issue to the jailer and apparently, Nalini committed suicide right after. The lawyer emphasized on knowing the whole issue properly before drawing anymore conclusions.

The New Indian Express reported that Nalini, at first, “threatened” to end her life after she got into a fight with the other inmate. “She had a tiff over the stay of a co-prisoner in the jail on Monday night. The prison officers had intervened. Yet she threatened to commit suicide. But, the issue was settled”, stated a prison officer.

Nalini’s husband, Murugan, who is also arrested for the assassination, said that it is hard to believe for him that she ended her life. “She had faced a lot of extremely difficult situations in the past but never attempted to end her life”. Murugan was still unsure as to what had exactly happened and stated that this might also be a tactic by prison authorities to “distract attention”.

Nalini and Murugan Sriharan were amongst the seven people who were convicted for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. They were a part of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which was a militant separatist group, fighting for the creation of an independent state of Tamil Eelam in the north and east of Sri Lanka.