Chennai, Feb 19 (KMW): Invoking remission powers vested with the state, the Tamil Nadu Government today decided to release all the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, including Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, whose death penalty was commuted by the Supreme Court.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the State Secretariat here.
In a statement in the Assembly, Ms Jayalalithaa said the State Cabinet, which met this morning, decided to immediately release Suthenthiraraja alias Santhan, Sriharan alias Murugan and Perarivalan by invoking Sec 432 of CrPc considering that they have been languishing in jails for 23 years.
Gandhi was killed in May 1991. The conspirators were convicted by a TADA court in January 1998 and were awarded death sentence, which was confirmed by the apex court May 11, 1999.
