Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Tamil Nadu cabinet recommends release of all 7 convicts to Governor

Sep 9 (AZINS) The Tamil Nadu cabinet has decided to recommend the release of seven convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case in 1991 to the governor, senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said on Sunday.

After the state cabinet meeting on Sunday, Jayakumar said the recommendation of the release of the convicts under Article 161 that deals with the judicial powers of the governor of a state will be sent immediately.

"Tamil Nadu cabinet recommends release of 7 convicts of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The recommendation will be sent to the TN governor immediately," Jayakumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier on Thursday, reacting to the Supreme Court direction to Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of AG Perarivalan as per the law, Jayakumar said the state government is committed to their release.

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the state government has powers to release the seven convicts. Leaders of various political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the main Opposition DMK, PMK, Left parties and MDMK, on Thursday hailed the apex court order.

During late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's tenure, a resolution was passed in the state legislative Assembly seeking the release of the convicts. In the last four years, the Tamil Nadu government has written twice to the Home Ministry to pardon the convicts and release them on humanitarian grounds but it has been rejected.

Besides Perarivalan, six other convicts, V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini are undergoing life sentence and have spent around 28 years in prison.

Perarivalan's mother, Arputhammal, who has been fighting for her son's release, welcomed the apex court's direction.