Centre moves SC against TN govt's decision to free Rajiv Gandhi's killers

Apex court agrees to give an urgent hearing, will take up the case later today

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Union government's plea against Tamil Nadu government's decision to release all seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

 

The Centre moved a petition before the Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam, citing a legal requirement for Tamil Nadu to take the decision in concurrence with the central government since Rajiv Gandhi's assassination was investigated by a central agency, CBI, under a central law, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act or TADA, reports NDTV.com.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said that the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was an attack on the soul of India.  The Tamil Nadu government’s proposed course of action to release killers is not legally tenable and should not be proceeded with.

 

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa decided to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, who were in jail for the past 23 years.

The state government decision came a day after the Supreme Court commuted the death penalty of three convicts in the case, to life imprisonment.

 

In a statement at the state assembly, Jayalalithaa said it was decided to release V Sriharan alias Murugan, A G Perarivalan alias Arivu, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Nalini, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran in a cabinet meeting.

 

All the seven were convicted for being part of the conspiracy to assassinate former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. 

 

Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber in May, 1991, during an election campaign in Sriperumbudur.