Rajiv Gandhi case life convict gets 16 days parole

The Madras High Court on Monday granted 16 days parole to Ravichandran, one of the seven life convicts in the Rajiv gandhi assassination case, to attend to his ailing mother and also to settle some family matters.

Acting on a petition by his mother, Justices T Raja and B Pugalendi granted him bail from January 10 to 25, though the state government submitted that it would not be possible to provide police security for him in view of Pongal festival.

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The petitioner submitted her son, who was convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case,had been lodged in Madurai central prison for more than 27 years, after he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Tamil Nadu government had taken a decision to release him and the recommendation for the same was pending with the state Governo, she submitted.

The petitioner said Ravichandran, who was 21 years old when he was imprisoned, was now 48 years old. She said she was old and had some health issues and was also struggling to settle various family issues. She submitted that the Tamil nadu government had already asked police to consider her application for parole for her son.

However the parole request had been rejected. Hence she requested the court to grant her son parole. Ravichandran, along with Nalini and her husband Murugan, Santhan, Robert Payas, Perarivalan and S Jayakumar are serving life term in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by a suicide bomber at an election rally in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

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