Supreme Court frees 6 convicted of Rajiv Gandhi assassination, including Nalini Sriharan

Also released were Nalini’s husband Murugan, R.P. Ravichandran, Robert Pais, Santhan and Jaikumar; top court noted they had spent 3 decades in prison and that their conduct was satisfactory.

The Supreme Court of India | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the release of six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan and R.P. Ravichandran, who were imprisoned for life in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

On 3 November, the top court had adjourned the matter till Friday on Nalini’s plea seeking premature release.

Tamil Nadu had earlier favoured the premature release of Nalini Sriharan and R.P. Ravichandran, stating that its 2018 advice for the remission of life sentence was binding upon the governor.

On Friday, the top court observed: “The appellants are directed to be set at liberty if not required in any other matter,” before freeing Nalini Sriharan, her Sri Lankan husband Murugan, Robert Pais, Ravichandran, Santhan and Jaikumar.

The bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and B.V. Nagarathna passed the order following a direction in May which had freed A.G. Perarivalan, another convict in the case.

All seven were serving life sentences for the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

The bench also noted Friday that the convicts had spent over three decades in prison and that their conduct during the incarceration was satisfactory.

The apex court said of Nalini, “… she is a woman and has been incarcerated for a period of more than three decades… She has also undertaken various studies.”

Both Nalini and Ravichandran have been on parole from 27 December, 2021 as sanctioned under the Tamil Nadu Suspension of Sentence Rules, 1982.

Nalini served her sentence in a special prison for women in Vellore for more than 30 years, while Ravichandran was in the Central Prison in Madurai.

In May 1999, the top court had upheld the death sentences of four convicts — Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan and Nalini.

Nalini’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2001 on the consideration that she has a daughter.

In 2014, the apex court also commuted the death sentences of Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan to life imprisonment on grounds of delay in deciding their mercy petitions.