Upset kin of Rajiv blast victims to implead in case

Upset at the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the kin of some of those who lost their lives in the bomb blast Wednesday said they would implead themselves in the central government's petition.

The former prime minister was killed by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber May 21, 1991 at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near here.

Along with him some 15 others - among them Congress activists and police officials - lost their lives. Some families lost their breadwinners.

Speaking to reporters, S. Abbas, son of a former Congress woman leader, John, brother of police official Edward Joseph, and League Mohan, son of Congress functionary League Munusamy, said they would implead themselves in the case.

The central government has filed a petition against the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release all the seven convicts - V. Sriharan alias Murugan, T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar (Sri Lankans) and A.G. Perarivalan alias Arivu, Nalini and Ravichandran (Indians).

The Tamil Nadu decision followed Feb 18 Supreme Court order to commute the death sentence of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan.

According to League Mohan, after the commutation of death sentence, the convict should be in prison for life.

"They have to be punished. If they are released it would become a bad precedent," John said.