Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Nalini Sriharan, her husband and three other convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were released from Tamil Nadu prisons today (November 12). Immediately after she was released from the special prison for women in Vellore, Nalini went to the Vellore central prison from where her husband V Sriharan alias Murugan was released and became emotional upon seeing him.
Murugan, along with Santhan, both Sri Lankan nationals, were taken in a police vehicle following their release to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli in the state. Two other Lankan nationals- Robert Payas and Jayakumar- released from the Puzhal prison, were taken to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli to be lodged there.
Earlier, another convict who was set free in May earlier, Perarivalan, along with his mother Arputhammal received the duo at the Puzhal prison.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the premature release of six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran, serving life sentence in the case. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and B V Nagarathna said the judgement of the top court in the case of A G Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the case, is equally applicable in their matter.
Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal said there shouldn't be any sympathy towards terrorists. The Modi government's "reprehensible silence" on the release of the culprits of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination is a "compromise with the terrorist act", Venugopal said. And those who applaud the release of these terrorists are, indeed, indirectly emboldening them, he added.
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His remarks came a day after Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, which is a Congress ally, and main opposition AIADMK welcomed the Supreme Court ruling. The Congress on Friday had termed "totally unacceptable and completely erroneous" the Supreme Court order directing the premature release of the six remaining convicts serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, and said the apex court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India.
The Congress also said it disagreed with its former chief Sonia Gandhi, whose appeal helped in the commutation of death sentence of convict Nalini Sriharan, asserting that she was entitled to her personal views but the party's stand had been consistent on this over the years.
(With agencies inputs)
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