'Thankful to people of Tamil Nadu': Rajiv Gandhi convict Nalini Sriharan leaves jail
Six convicts – Nalini Sriharan, Jaykumar, RP Ravichandran, Robert Pias, Suthendraraja and Sriharan – were freed in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case by the Supreme Court based on their good conduct in jail.
Nalini Sriharan and two of the six convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, walked out of jail on Saturday evening from Tamil Nadu's Vellore Jail after the Supreme Court directed their release based on good conduct while behind bars. Nalini had served a 31 years long sentence.
“I am thankful to the people of Tamil Nadu who supported me for 32 years. I thank both, the state and Union government. I will speak about the rest in Chennai tomorrow during press meet. Supreme Court lawyers will also speak tomorrow,” she said to media persons after her release, as quoted by news agency ANI.
The top court on Friday directed the release of all six – Nalini Sriharan, Jaykumar, RP Ravichandran, Robert Pias, Suthendraraja and Sriharan – who were handed life terms in connection with the killing of the former prime minister.
Santhan and Murugan were driven away to a camp for Sri Lankan refugees soon after their release today.
The order received severe criticism from the Congress, which even disagreed with former president Sonia Gandhi and called it 'totally unacceptable' and 'completely erroneous'.
Read | ‘Unacceptable, erroneous’: Congress criticizes SC’s decision of releasing Rajiv Gandhi’s killers
The Supreme Court had applied its May 18 judgment - the release of AG Perarivalan, another convicted in the case - to the release of the six, noting commonality of criteria. It also highlighted the Tamil Nadu government's 2018 recommendation of release.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber - identified as Dhanu - while at a poll rally. The killing was largely seen as a response to his move to send Indian forces to Sri Lanka in 1987 to disarm Tamil rebels.
