Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: After the release from jail in the assassination case of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, one of the convicts said that time will judge them as "innocents." RP Ravichandran, one of the six convicts who was released on November 12, also said that people of north India should see them as "victims rather than terrorists or killers."
"Time and power determine who is a terrorist or a freedom fighter but time will judge us as innocent, even if we bear the blame for being terrorists. The people of north India should see us as victims instead of terrorists or killers," he told the media after being released from Madurai Central Prison.
In order to release AG Perarivalan, one of the seven defendants in the assassination case, the Supreme Court had to invoke its exceptional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution on May 18.
Earlier, Nalini Sriharan, one of the convicts in the case and Ravichandran's wife, thanked the Tamil Nadu and the central governments for providing "support" to her throughout her 32-year sentence and stated her desire to be with her family.
Following a ruling by the Supreme Court on Friday, Sriharan - the longest-serving female prisoner serving a life sentence in the nation - was freed from the Vellore Prison. Apart from her, all six convicts including Ravichandran were released from jail.
Speaking to the media, Nalini also discussed her future plans, including whether she would stay in India or move abroad. She also stated that she wanted to be with her family because they had been waiting for her for a long time.
'Not planning to meet anyone from the Gandhi family': Nalini
"I want to be with my family. All members of my family have been waiting for such a long time. I want to thank the State and Central governments. They helped us a lot during this period," she said. Nalini also denied any intention of meeting someone from the Gandhi family.
"I will go wherever my husband goes. We were separated for 32 years. Our family kept waiting for us... I am not planning to meet anyone from the Gandhi family. We are under the case. There is no possibility of me meeting them," she added.
Earlier, 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", he said. "And those who applaud the release of these terrorists are, indeed, indirectly emboldening them," he added.
(With inputs from ANI)
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