OPS affirms TN govt's resolve to release all 7 convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

Tamil Nadu Deputy CM O Pannerselvam categorically stated that the AIADMK government firmly believed in the release of all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, including Perarivalan. The Dy CM's remarks come after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that TN governor Banwari Lal Purohit would take three-four days to decide on granting pardon to convict Perarivalan. O Pannerselvam noted that it was the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government that had firt announced the release of the 7 convicts in the legislative assembly and had passed a resolution following which it was recommended to the governor. Pannerselvam added that they were expecting a good outcome and reiterated that the release of all the 7 convicts was the firm stance of the government. 

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OPS vows release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts

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As per the SG, Governor Banwari Lal Purohit will decide the remission of Perarivalan's sentence "as per the Constitution", exercising his discretionary power under Article 161. This decision would be taken within the next 3-4 days. "I have received instructions to tell Your Lordships that we have received information from the Governor of the State of Tamil Nadu that he will decide the issue as per the Constitution within the next 3-4 days," placed SG Tushar Mehta before the court.  This development comes after the bench headed by Justice L. Nageswara Rao expressed 'unhappiness' over Perarivalan's long-pending remission recommendation, which had first been made by the Tamil Nadu state government back in 2018. After listening to the submission by SG Mehta, the top court listed the matter after 4 weeks.

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Perarivalan's remission plea

The plea pertains to 46-year-old Perarivalan who is seeking suspension of his life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case till the MDMA probe is completed. A G Perarivalan, Nalini, her husband Murugan, T. Suthendraraja, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, and P Ravichandran are the seven convicts in the assassination case who have been in prison for over 30 years.  Last year in November, the top court had expressed unhappiness over the pendency of Perarivalan's pardon before the Tamil Nadu Governor for over 2 years. The CBI had also asserted that it had no role as far as the relief was concerned stating, "It is for the His Excellency Governor of Tamil Nadu to take a call on the issue whether remission is to be granted or not and in so far as relief is concerned in the present matter CBI has no role. Present petitioner is not the subject matter of the further investigation carried out by MDMA…” Thereafter, Perarivalan was granted parole from November 9 to November 23 by the Madras High Court on 'medical grounds.' This was later extended by the top court by one week. 

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