Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged President Ram Nath Kovid to release all the seven convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case. Seeking clemency, Stalin has written to President requesting him to accept the State government’s recommendation in September 2018 and pass orders to remit the life sentences of all the seven convicts.
The letter was handed over to President’s office on May 20 by DMK MP T.R Baalu.
Stalin has requested the immediate release of the convicts- S. Nalini, Murugan, Santhan, A.G. Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and P. Ravichandran.
In the letter addressed to President Kovind, Stalin said that all seven convicts have faced immense suffering for the past three decades. “It is also the will of the people of Tamil Nadu,” he stated.
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“These seven persons have already suffered untold hardship and agony in the past three decades and have paid a heavy price. There has already been an inordinate delay in the consideration of their pleas for remission. In the present circumstances of the Covid19 pandemic, courts are also recognizing the need to decongest prisons,” Tamil Nadu CM contended.
“The majority of political parties in Tamil Nadu have been requesting for the remission of the remainder of their sentences and immediate releases of all the seven convicts as they have been incarcerated for about three decades. It is also the will of the people of Tamil Nadu,” said Stalin in the letter.
On the plea of clemency, the Congress party has shown displeasure. The TN Congress leader said, “If the court announced the release of seven Rajiv case convicts, we will accept it. However, political parties rooting for their release is unacceptable.”
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 on May 20 at Sriperumbudur at an election rally of the Congress party.