Madras HC rejects Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini’s plea to extend parole

The Madras high court on Thursday rejected the plea of Nalini Sriharan, who is serving a life term in the assassination case of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandh, to extend her parole till October 15 to make arrangements for her daughter’s wedding.

Nalini is currently on parole since July 25 for making wedding arrangements for her UK-based daughter S Harithra.

In July, the high court had allowed her a one month for making wedding arrangements after the Tamil Nadu’s prisons department did not clear her parole petition. The court further extended her parole by another three weeks on August 22, three days before her parole was to end.

While Nalini’s parole ends on September 15, her counsel had moved a petition in the high court on Wednesday, submitting that the petitioner needs one more month to prepare for her daughter’s wedding.

When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, a bench comprising justice MM Sundaresh and justice RMT Teeka Raman dismissed the petition.

Nalini’s counsel argued that his client’s mother-in-law has to come from Sri Lanka for making the wedding arrangements since her father-in-law was affected by cancer.

However, the bench said that the petitioner had already got enough leave, and it could not be extended further.

Nalini, who is currently staying with her mother at a Dravidian outfit leader’s house in Vellore, has to return the Vellore Special Prison for women on September 15 by 5 pm.

Nalini’s husband and one of the seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Murugan alias Sriharan, also petitioned the Tamil Nadu prison’s department last week for a month-long parole to make arrangements for his daughter’s marriage. However, the prisons department has not yet replied to the petition.

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by a woman LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumpudur near Chennai. Besides Nalini and Murugan, others convicted for life in the case are Suthenthira Raja alias Santhan, AG Perarivalan, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran.

The Tamil Nadu government’s resolution requesting the release of these seven convicts under Article 161 of the Constitution is pending with Governor Banwarilal Purohit.