Rajiv killing: Convict's mother upset over delay in release

Disappointed over the delay in the release of her son A.G. Perarivalan convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Arputhammal hoped the legal process would not take more than three months.

Speaking to reporters here Friday, Arputhammal said she had been making arrangements to receive Perarivalan alais Arivu from the Vellore Jail but was now at loss of words to express herself.

She was reacting to the apex court decision to refer to a constitution bench the case of releasing a person whose death sentence was converted into life sentence.

Arputhammal said the apex court's decision was unexpected but she would continue her fight against the death sentence.

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice P.Sathasivam also framed several questions that the constitution bench has to answer.

The constitution bench has to answer whether the government can release a person whose death sentence was commuted into life sentence and, if yes, whether the central or the state government or both have the power to do so.

The Supreme Court in February this year commuted the death sentence to V. Sriharan alias Murugan, Perarivalan, and T.Suthendraraja alias Santhan citing the inordinate delay in deciding their mercy petitions.

Following that, the Tamil Nadu government announced its decision in the assembly to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case - Perarivalan, Santhan, Murugan, Nalini, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran.

Jayalalithaa said the state government would convey its decision to the centre and if the latter did not respond within three days, the convicts would be released.

The centre in turn approached the apex court to review its decision on commuting the death sentence of Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan. The court also blocked release of the convicts by the state government.

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during an election rally.

PMK founder S.Ramadoss in a statement urged the Tamil Nadu government to release the convicts on parole.

He said had the state government handled the issue responsibly, then all the convicts would have been released a long back.