SC Orders Release Of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict Perarivalan After 31 Yrs In Jail
Mumbai: The Supreme Court today ordered the release of AG Perarivalan, one of the convicts in former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case.
On Wednesday, the verdict was pronounced by three-bench justice of the Supreme Court including Justices Nageswara Rao, BR Bavai and AS Bopanna.
https://twitter.com/LiveLawIndia/status/1526794967334924293?s=20&t=vkyAErT-7yKDsGUu3i5uJQ
The Supreme Court granted bail to AG Perarivalan through an order on 9 March 2022.
On April 27, 2022, the Supreme Court offered to release AG Perarivalan from prison after serving a sentence of more than three decades.
On May 11, 2022, the Supreme Court reserved judgment on a petition by Perarivalan seeking his release from prison in 2018 based on the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu government. In the hearing last week, the Center criticized the court on the argument that only the President would have special powers in matters of granting mercy.
Perarivalan had served a prison sentence of over 30 years in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
History of the case:
On May 21, 1991, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (46) was assassinated in a suicide bombing during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He was killed along with 14 others in a suicide bombing allegedly carried out by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam (aka) Dhanu.
In 1998, Perarivalan was sentenced to death by a TADA court along with 25 others for his role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Perarivalan was 19 at the time of the murder and was accused of buying two 9-volt batteries for Sivarasan, an LTTE member who was the mastermind of the murder. The FIR states that two batteries were also used for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
In 2014, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentences of seven convicts – S Nalini, Murugan, Santhan, AG Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and P Ravichandran – to life imprisonment and after two decades in prison, Perarivalan was granted bail for the first time.
Following his release, Perarivalan appealed for his early release from prison.
In 2016 and 2018, former Tamil Nadu chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and Edappadi K Palaniswami recommended the release of all seven convicts, including Perarivalan. However, the respective governors refused to comply with the recommendation. He also sent the recommendation to the Governor after delay.
In 2018, the then Tamil Nadu cabinet had recommended the release of 7 convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case under Article 161 of the Constitution.
Last year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had also urged the President to release the convicts in September 2018, accepting the state government’s recommendation.
Follow us on Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and exciting stories.
