Rajiv Gandhi assassination: SC notice to Centre, TN on Nalini’s early release plea

Nalini at Vellore Central Prison on July 25, 2019. Pic/AFP

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government on a plea filed by Nalini Sriharan, serving life in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, seeking premature release.

Nalini has challenged an order of the Madras High Court, which rejected her plea for early release, and cited the apex court's recent judgement ordering the release of co-convict A G Perarivalan, who served over 30 years in jail for apparently buying two 9-volt cells for a key plotter.

Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, at a poll rally. In its May 1999 order, the top court upheld the death sentence of four convicts Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan and Nalini.

In 2014, it commuted the death sentences of Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan to life on grounds of delay in deciding their mercy pleas.

Nalini's death sentence was cut to life in 2001.

2001
When Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life

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