Rajiv Gandhi’s Killers To Walk Free After Death Sentence Commuted

0
139

While Sikh Prisoners Still Suffer Despite Serving Full Sentences!

While the Tamil Nadu governmenthad okayed the release ofthe Rajiv Gandhi’s killers, butthey cannot immediately walkfree, the Supreme Court onThursday said, acting on theCentre’s petition seeking a stay onchief minister J Jayalalithaa’sdecision to release them.

A combo picture of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination.

CHENNAI – The killers of formerprime minister RajivGandhi will soon walk free,Tamil Nadu declared onWednesday, a heavily politicaldecision that angered Congressbut is likely to win votes for thestate’s ruling party.While the killers a former PrimeMinister of India are allowed towalk free but Sikh prisonerswho have had their death sentencescommuted or even thosewho have served their full sentenceare still suffering insideprisons. Where is the justice?While the Tamil Nadu governmenthad okayed the release ofthe Rajiv Gandhi’s killers, butthey cannot immediately walkfree, the Supreme Court onThursday said, acting on theCentre’s petition seeking a stayon chief minister J Jayalalithaa’sdecision to release them.The seven convicts to be let gofrom Vellore prison includethree — Santhan, Perarivalan andMurugan — whose death penaltywas commuted to a life term bythe Supreme Court on Tuesdayon the grounds that the centralgovernment had taken too longto decide on their mercy pleas.The court had left a decision onremission of the sentences tothe state government.Chief minister J Jayalalithaaannounced the release after anemergency cabinet meeting, andpromptly gave the Centre adeadline to accept her proposal.This could set her on a collisioncourse with the union homeministry, which, a senior sourcesaid, was in no hurry to comply.”‘The state government willsend the Cabinet’s decision tothe Centre. If the Centre fails torespond in three days, my governmentwill release themimmediately under the powerconferred on it by theConstitution,’ the CM told thestate assembly, adding that itwas mandatory for the state toconsult Delhi because the casehad been investigated by theCentral Bureau of Investigation.Rajiv’s son and Congress vicepresidentRahul Gandhi, speakingin Amethi, said he was saddenedby the decision. ” I ampersonally against the deathpenalty but this is not about myfather. If a Prime Minister’skillers are being released, whatkind of justice should the commonman expect?” he said.”The Congress Party condemnsthe decision,” chief spokesmanAjay Maken said in a statement,adding that “it was guided solelyby political considerations tosuit sectarian vested interests”.But a measure of how emotivethe Sri Lankan Tamil issue still isin Tamil Nadu (TN), and howmuch of an electoral hot potato,could be gauged by the reactionof finance minister PChidambaram, a Tamilian, whotold NDTV that he was “notunhappy” with the decision. The seven were jailed after the 1991 assassinationof Rajiv by a Sri Lankan suicide bomber inSriperumbudur near Chennai.The killers owe allegiance to the Liberation Tigersof Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist movementthat targeted Rajiv because he sent Indian troopsto help quell their revolt in India’s island neighbour.Hurdles to their release could come fromthe home ministry.“We have not received any correspondence fromthe state in this regard but section 435 of theCriminal Procedure Code (CrPC) is very clear thatany case investigated by a central agency under acentral law, in this it was TADA, cannot go aheadfor remission or commutation of sentence withconsulting the Centre. Besides the law says therewas a need to a have separate commutation orderfrom the Centre as well,” said a senior-levelsource.The mother of Perarivalan, the lone Indianamong the three main accused,said she was “very happy” at theTN decision. “Amma(Jayalalithaa) is very considerateabout the pain of another mother.She has put an end to mypain,’ Aruputhammal told PTInews agency.Perarivalan topped a diplomaexamination and earned a gold medal in a desktop publishing course in the jail last year.Underscoring the bitter rivalry in state politics,Jayalalithaa, who heads the ruling AIADMK,accused her main opposition, the DMK — a onetimeally of the Congress in the Centre — of draggingits feet on the commutation despite the TNassembly adopting a resolution seeking commutationof the death sentence two and a half yearsago.’Even though the DMK was part of theCongress-led UPA, it did not press the Centre totake a decision,’ she charged.The death sentence of one of the convicts,Murugan’s wife Nalini, was commuted to life in2000 after Congress president Sonia Gandhi recommendedher case on humanitarian grounds.Vaiko, the leader of another state party, MDMK,extended his ‘heartiest congratulations and gratitudeto the Tamil Nadu government.’ He has beena campaigner for the cause of the convicts.