New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday referred the matter on remission of life imprisonment of seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to a Constitution Bench and said its interim order staying the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to free them will continue.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said that the petition filed by the Centre, challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to remit the sentences, will be decided by the Constitution Bench and framed seven questions to be decided by it.
It said that the Constitution Bench, which will take up the matter within three months, will also decide whether the sentence of a prisoner, whose death penalty has been commuted to life, can be remitted by the government.
The court had on February 20 stayed the decision to release of three convicts–Murugan, Santhan and Arivu– whose death sentence was commuted to life term by it on February 18 in the case, saying there had been procedural lapses on the part of the state government on the decision to release them.
The apex court later on had also stayed release of convicts Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran in the case.
The Jayalalithaa government had on February 19 decided to set free all the seven convicts in the assassination case.
Santhan, Murugan and Arivu are currently lodged in the Central Prison, Vellore and they are in jail since 1991.
The other four are also undergoing life sentence for their role in Gandhi’s assassination on May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur. (PTI)
Families of convicts disappointed
Chennai: The Supreme Court decision to refer the issue of remission of death sentence of Rajiv Gandhi killers to a Constitution Bench has disappointed family members of the incarcerated who have been waiting for a favourable order for their release.
“I don’t know what to say now” was the instant reaction of Arputhammal, mother of G Perarivalan, who has been engaged in a long legal battle to see her son out of jail.
The Supreme Court has referred the matter on remission of life imprisonment of seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to a Constitution Bench and said its interim order staying the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to free them will continue.
“I was eagerly awaiting the verdict today. I thought I will be able to meet you (press) with happiness. We have fought for 23 years”, she told PTI.
“I don’t know how long I would have to suffer further”, she said.
DMK leader Selvaganapathy said, “I find no reason why the case should be referred to a Constitution Bench as no Constitution issue is involved in this case. The Supreme Court must have given its verdict. This case is different. Law is equal for all”.
Perarivalan’s relative P Leela too said she was deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court order.
The Tamil Nadu government announced on February 19 its decision to release Rajiv killers, which was challenged by the Government the next day and the Supreme Court stayed their release. (PTI)
