Current affairs

TN Chief Minister MK Stalin writes to the President demanding the release of Rajiv Gandhi case convicts!

By alagu, 20 May, 2021
MK Stalin, Perarivalan, Tamilnadu

After granting 30-day ordinary leave to one of the Rajiv Gandhi case convicts AG Perarivalan from the Puzhal Central Prison, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Wednesday written to President of India Ram Nath Kovind to release all the seven convicts who have been facing incarceration nearly for three decades. 

Stalin's letter has come when the previous state government-passed resolution regarding their release is still resting before the President. In his letter, MK Stalin said, "I wish to bring to your kind notice that we have been demanding the early release of Mrs S Nalini, Mr Murugan, Mr Santhan, Mr AG Perarivalan, Mr Jayakumar, Mr Robert Payas, and Mr P Ravichandran, who were all convicted in the case of the assassination of Thiru. Rajiv Gandhi, Hon'ble former Prime Minister of India, as they have been undergoing the agony of imprisonment for about three decades."

He stated that "In this regard, I wish to state that Mrs Nalini's original death sentence was commuted under Article 161 of the Constitution of India. The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India also commuted the death sentence of the other three convicts to that of life imprisonment. The majority of the political parties in Tamil Nadu have been requesting for the remission of the remainder of their sentence and for the immediate release of all the 7 convicts as they have been incarcerated for about three decades. It is also the will of the people of Tamil Nadu."

Stalin has highlighted the resolution moved to the Tamil Nadu Governor by the previous government to release the seven convicts. The Chief Minister penned, "On this matter, on 9.9.2018, the Government of Tamil Nadu had recommended to the Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu for the remission of the rest of the sentence for all seven convicts and their early release. The purported obstacle for the exercise of the power of remission was the pendency of the investigation by the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency of CBI." 

"It has been clarified by the respective stands of the Union Government and CBI before Hon'ble Supreme Court that there is no connection between the remission of the sentence and investigation," Stalin added. It must be noted that the previous Edappadi Palaniswami-led government had passed a resolution in the assembly and recommended the Governor to consent to the early release of the convicts. However, the Governor has kept the resolution idle, promoting severe protests across the state demanding him to order the early release. 

The Governor had delayed in a fashion that the Supreme Court had called it as 'extraordinary'. After the outrage, Governor Purohit had passed the ball to the President's court by claiming that the President holds ultimate authority in releasing the convicts. MK Stalin has highlighted this matter in his letter by stating, "The Hon'ble Governor has decided that the Hon'ble President of India is the competent authority to decide on the plea of remission of sentence of these seven persons, and therefore has forwarded the State Government's recommendation to Your Excellency's Office." 

He outlined, "These seven persons have already suffered untold hardship and agony in the past three decades and have paid a heavy price. There has already been an inordinate delay in the consideration of their pleas for remission. In the present circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, courts are also recognizing the need to decongest prisons." 

"I, therefore request the Honorable President to kindly accept the recommendation of the State Government dated 9.9.2018 and pass appropriate orders to remit the life sentence of all the seven convicts viz Mrs S Nalini, Mr Murugan, Mr Santhan, Mr AG Perarivalan, Mr Jayakumar, Mr Robert Payas, and Mr P Ravichandran and direct their release immediately and oblige," Stalin added. 

 

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