: A day after the Supreme Court commuted death sentences of three men convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the Tamil Nadu cabinet on Wednesday decided to release them and other convicts after due consultations with the Centre.
“The cabinet has taken a decision to release the three convicts, Perarivalan, Murugan and Santhan, along with those four, Nalini, Robert Pyas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran who are undergoing life sentence. The decision will be conveyed to the Centre for appropriate action. If we don’t get their response in three days, we will release all convicts in accordance with the rights granted under Indian Constitution,” chief minister J Jayalalithaa informed the state assembly.
The Congress members walked out of the House protesting against the state government’s decision.
“Releasing the assassins would set a wrong precedence,” Congress floor leader N R Rangarajan said.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam on Tuesday commuted the death sentences of Perarivalan, Murugan and Santhan on the ground of a delay of nearly 11 years in deciding their mercy petitions.