HC stays for 8 weeks execution of 3 Rajiv convicts

Chennai: Madras High Court has stayed for eight weeks, the execution of the death sentence of three condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination Case fixed for September 9.
A division bench of the High court comprising Justices C Nagappan and M Sathyanarayana granted yesterday the relief to the convicts after admitting their writ petitions, seeking to quash the Presidential Order, rejecting their mercy petitions and commute the sentence to life.
Passing the interim order on the writ petitions filed by the three convicts V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan and A G Perarivalan alias Arivu-the Judges observed that there had been a delay of 11 years and four months on part of the President in rejecting their mercy petitions.
The Bench ordered notice to the Union Government, returnable by eight weeks and posted the case for further hearing, stating the matter involved the question of law. ”There shall be an interim injunction for eight weeks,” the Judges said.
The Bench also ordered issuance of notices to Union Home Ministry, Tamil Nadu Home Ministry, Inspector General of Police (Prisons) and Superintendent, Vellore Central Prison, where the condemned prisoners are lodged.