Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Accused Nalini Sriharan Along With 4 Others Walks Out Of Jail, Thanks People Of Tamil Nadu

After being released, Nalini thanked people of Tamil Nadu and said that she will address press meet on Sunday in Chennai.

Nalini Sriharan and four other accused of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case have been released from the Vellore jail on Saturday. Speaking on the release, Nalini’s brother said that his family is very happy today. “Nalini and our family are very happy today. She is going to live a normal life with her family. We will try to get an appointment with him (CM MK Stalin),” ANI quoted Bakianathan, Nalini Sriharan's brother, as saying. 

Soon after being released from the jail, Nalini thanked people of Tamil Nadu for supporting her. “I am thankful to the people of Tamil Nadu who supported me for 32 years. I thank both the State and Union Government. I will speak about the rest in Chennai tomorrow during the Press Meet. Supreme Court lawyers will also speak tomorrow,” she said, as quoted by ANI. 

Nalini Sriharan and other accused were released after the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the immediate release of six accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The accused have already spent over three decades in prison. The apex court has held that the provisions under which Perarivalavan, seventh accused, was released were also applicable to them. The Court gave the order in the case moved by Nalini and RP Ravichandran. 

A panel of Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna ruled that the Supreme Court's decision in the case of former co-convict A G  Perarivalan, one of the case's convicts, is equally relevant in their case. 

The seven convicts in the case were Nalini Sriharan, Murugan, Santhan, AG Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, and P Ravichandran. 

The Congress party has expressed its displeasure over the ruling as it said, “The Congress Party criticises it clearly and finds it wholly untenable. It is most unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India on this issue.” 

In 1991, a suicide bomber murdered former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during an electoral rally in Sriperumbudur. Dhanu (alias) Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber, blew off an explosive-laden belt while bending to touch Rajiv Gandhi's feet. In addition to Rajiv Gandhi, 14 other people were killed in the Sriperumbudur explosion. 

TADA court condemned 26 suspects, including Perarivalan and Nalini, for their roles in the assassination in 1998.