Indian Supreme Court orders release of all convicts in Rajiv Gandhi killing

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Indian Supreme Court has set free all six convicts - serving life imprisonment - in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. 

The court applied its May 18 2022 judgment of releasing AG Perarivalan to the remaining life convicts after noting that the criteria laid down for Perarivalan was made out even in the case of the remaining convicts.

Nalini, who is currently out on parole, had moved the apex court seeking early release from prison after the Madras High Court turned down her plea. Her petition was filed after the Supreme Court on May 18 ordered the release of Perarivalan, who had served more than 30 years in jail, by exercising its special powers under the Constitution’s Article 142. The Article enables the top court to pass orders to ensure “complete justice” in a case. Nalini cited Perarivalan’s case as she sought similar relief.

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber at an election meeting in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.

Seven convicts were sentenced to life terms in the case. In 1999, the Supreme Court sentenced four of them to death and the other three to life imprisonment. In 2000, the death sentence of Nalini was commuted to life. In 2014, the Supreme Court commuted the other three death sentences, including that of Perarivalan.