Rajiv Gandhi case: Nalini Sriharan appeals to HC to withdraw plea for 6-month parole

Chennai: A day after the Supreme Court asking the Tamil Nadu governor to consider the mercy petition of AG Perarivalan and six others, life convicts in assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Nalini Sriharan, a convict in the case, has approached the Madras high court with a plea to withdraw her petition seeking six month parole to make arrangements for her daughter’s wedding.

On behalf of Nalini, her counsel made the submission before the court on Friday. He stated that she made the decision in view of apex court verdict that Tamil Nadu government can decide on its own to releasing the seven-accused convicted in the case including Nalini. Recording the submission, Justice P N Prakash permitted the petitioner to withdraw the plea.

In December 2017, challenging her plea, the Tamil Nadu government filed a counter submitting that in the event of grant of parole, she might escape from lawful custody.

The state submitted that Nalini’s daughter is not a citizen of India and that she had not submitted any travel document of her daughter as proof of her proposed visit to India.Replying to the counter, Nalini said that in February 2014, the Tamil Nadu government had decided to release me.

Since the decision was stayed by the apex court she was not released. “Despite this, I had become eligible for release under various schemes for premature release of life convicts framed by the state government. Only because of the pendency of a writ petition in the Supreme Court, I continue to suffer in the prison,” she added.