Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case: SC asks TN Governor to consider Perarivalan’s Mercy Plea

In Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case the Supreme Court of India on Thursday asked Tamil Nadu governor to consider Perarivalan’s Mercy Plea. The bench comprises Ranjan Gogai, Naveen Sinha and K.M Joseph of the Centre’s petition on a proposal for the release of the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination convicts in the case filed by the Tamil Nadu government.

On August 10, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it did not concur with the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to release the seven convicts in the case, saying remission of their sentence will set a “dangerous precedent” and have “international ramifications”.

Those who had killed former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in a brutal manner also include in the convict’s list. On August 20, 47-year-old Perarivalan alias Arivu told the court that no decision had been taken as yet on his mercy petition filed before the Tamil Nadu Governor on December 30, 2015, under Article 161 of the Constitution.

According to the report, Perarivalan was charged with supplying a 9-volt battery, which was allegedly used for the belt bomb killing Rajiv Gandhi and 14 others on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. This was the first suicide bombing, which claimed the life of high profile Indian leader. He has been in the Jail for 25 years.

“As per jail rules, life imprisonment at ground level is only for a maximum of 20 years and thereafter the prisoner is considered for release. Now I have already undergone more than life imprisonment,” convicts said in his letter to the Governor.

While, he also said the investigation is done is not complete and full-fledged the main culprit who hatched the full plane yet to arrest, “the main culprits who designed the bomb made of RDX were not nabbed till date. They are scot-free and the investigation is still pending into the vital aspects of the crime itself,” the letter said.

The letter also states, “The charge sheet of the CBI [Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Authority – MDMA], which was constituted pursuant to the Jain Commission report for further investigation of foreign hand in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, is still pending and the real conspirators are yet to be found. There will be no justification in keeping me behind bars even after 25 years of actual punishment when the investigation is itself pending.”

The investigation was transferred to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI on the request of the Tamil Nadu government and the SIT has named 41 accused in its charge sheet — including 12, who died in the blast and three who were absconding — before a TADA court in Chennai. The prolonged trial culminated in 1998 when the TADA court sentenced 26 of the accused to death.

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