HC seeks response

23 November 2010 03:00 am

CHENNAI: The top court in Tamil Nadu has sought a response from the state government on a petition filed by Rajiv Gandhi murder convict Nalini Sriharan, a Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger activist, who is serving a life sentence in the case.

Nalini, aged 44, had been seeking premature release under the general amnesty scheme, but the Madras High Court had rejected her plea on April 6.

On Monday, Justice M. Sathyanarayanan asked the government to submit its response by Nov. 30.

Nalini, who has served more than 19 years now, argued on March 24 that the state government issued an order accepting an advisery board’s recommendation and rejecting her plea for premature release.

She now seeks quashing of that order.

She cited certain observations of Supreme Court which she says are more relevant than an advisory board’s recommendation.

In rejecting her release, the court on April 6 had held that Nalini had committed the crime in a “cunning and meticulous manner.”

The gravity of the crime denies her any consideration, the court said.

The advisory board comprising of state government officials had held the view that the crime committed by her was heinous in nature and she had harboured the prime accused involved in the assassination of the former prime minister.

Rajiv Gandhi died in a Tamil Tiger suicide attack in the industrial town of Sriperumbudur near Chennai on May 21, 1991 when he was on an election campaign.

A special court in January 1998 sentenced Nalini to death. The Supreme Court confirmed it.

But, the penalty was commuted to life by the state government on April 24, 2000, allowing a clemency petition.

Source: The Gulf Today