RAJIV CONVICTS’ RELEASE CASE

TN govt to take decision after studying SC order

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2018

The Tamil Nadu government will take a decision on the release of convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case after going through the Supreme Court’s order based on a plea by one of them. The government said it is for the release of all seven convicts currently in jail.

“It is our stand and desire of Amma (Jayalalithaa) that all the seven convicts should be released. Chief minister (Edappadi K Palaniswami)

will take a decision after going through the Supreme Court’s order,” law minister C Ve Shanmugam told reporters here on Thursday.

He was reacting to the court’s order directing Tamil Nadu governor to consider the mercy petition of A G Perarivalan, one of the seven life convicts in the case. An apex court bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Naveen Sinha and K M Joseph disposed of the Centre’s petition on the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal for the release of the convicts.

Earlier in the day, Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal appealed to the state government to initiate steps for the early release of her son. She expressed hope that her son could be set free within the next one week.

Welcoming the order, DMK president M K Stalin urged chief minister Palaniswami to convene the state cabinet meeting at the earliest, to take this forward. DMK’s alliance partner Congress was cautious in its reaction. “Whatever measures legally allowed in this, should be legally followed,” TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasar told reporters in New Delhi.

While PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the state government to release all the seven convicts immediately, CPM state secretary R Balakrishnan asked the state government to avoid any further delay in releasing all the convicts. “I request the chief minister to immediately convene a cabinet meeting, pass a firm resolution to release all the seven convicts and recommend the same to the governor,” MDMK general secretary Vaiko said in a statement.