CHENNAI: Harping on former Supreme Court judge Justice K. T. Thomas' letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking remission of jail sentences awarded to convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, DMK working president M. K. Stalin on Friday demanded that the Tamil Nadu ask the Centre to release Perarivalan and others in the sensitive case.
In a statement here on Friday, Stalin took a dig at the state government accusing it of not pushing the Centre in remitting the sentences awarded to Perarivalan and others in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. “The state government which keeps claiming that it has good relations with the Centre should use its good offices to ensure that Perarivalan and others are released from jail,” the Opposition leader said.
Quoting Justice K. T. Thomas' letter to Rajiv's wife and Congress president and Sonia Gandhi requesting her to convey her willingness for the remission of their sentences, Stalin said the statements of the judge who sentenced Perarivalan and others and the investigation officer before the Supreme Court. “Those convicted have not been released only because of lack of efforts from the state government. The state government should delay the issue further and should seek the Centre's permission to release the convicts,” the DMK leader said.
Perarivalan, Murugan and other accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court commuted their sentence to life term in 2014. The Centre has told the Supreme Court more than once that the Tamil Nadu Government cannot release the convicts from prison on the grounds that they have already served 14 years in prison since the CBI investigated the case. Since then, there have been demands from almost all political parties that the convicts be released. “The chief secretary must follow up with the Centre and ensure that the convicts are release,” Stalin said.
