Chennai: May 21, which marks the death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, hits the headlines for two reasons: firstly, it reminds of the assassination of India’s youngest prime minister and secondly the political seesaws over the fate of six jail inmates, languishing for three decades, post the release of Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the case.


The Supreme Court Wednesday expressed its disappointment over Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for not taking a call under Article 161 of the Constitution (that mandates: the Governor of a state has the power to grant pardons, remit or commute sentences provided to a convict of any offense against any law). 


 The court came down heavily on Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi saying that he failed his constitutional obligation. 


On Wednesday when Supreme Court ordered to free Perarivalan, one of the convicts in former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin said the state will decide on the release of the six other convicts.


The CM also said, the state government will study the case and discuss with the legal team on further steps to release the convicts. 


Earlier, the previous Tamil Nadu government in 2018 also passed a resolution for their release. However, TN Governor didn't take any decision on the resolution.


The Supreme Court expressed its disappointment over Tamil Nadu Governor for not taking a call under Article 161 of the Constitution (As per Article 161, the Governor of a state has the power to grant pardons, remit or commute sentences provided to a convict of any offense against any law). 


Yet TN Governor’s delay in taking a decision on the recommendation of Tamil Nadu government to release the prisoners keeps the future of the convicts uncertain.


The Assassination


On May 21, 1991, a woman LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up while she was near Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in an election rally in Sriperumbudur. 


The next year SIT charge-sheeted against 41 accused including 12 dead persons. However, the SC acquitted 19 persons in the case in May 1999. It then upheld the death sentence of seven convicts. 


Later, the death sentence of all seven was commuted to life sentence on different occasions. 


On May 18, 2022, SC ordered the release of Perarivalan. After the SC order, the remaining six convicts await their release. 


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The six life convicts include Nalini, her husband Murugan, Santhan, Robert Payas, P Ravichandran and Jayakumar.


With the release of Perarivalan, the kin of the six convicts have also started to voice release of their family member. 


Kin Demand The Release


Speaking to IANS, Nalini's mother Padma Sankaranarayanan said that she excepts the release of her daughter soon. 


"After the release of Perarivalan, I am convinced that Nalini will be released soon. Arputham Ammal, Perarivalan's mother, has gone through a lot of trauma and her relentless struggle and fight for his release paid off finally. I expect that Nalini will also be released soon," she said.


Padma Sankaranarayanan said that she has high hopes from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin after he made a statment that the state government would work for the release of all the other six convicts who are jailed in the case.


Along with the families, many other senior lawyers have also supported the release of the six other convicts.


Legal Experts Support Release


Justice KT Thomas, who headed SC bench that upheld the conviction of the seven convicts in the case, was also critical of Tamil Nadu Governor's inaction over Tamil Nadu cabinet's recommendation, as per a report in The New Indian Express. 


Further, supporting the release of the remaining six convicts, KT Thomas said, the convicts should have been released.