TN recommends release of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins

Tamil Nadu (TN) Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister E.Palaniswami has recommended release of all seven life convicts of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

State Minister D.Jayakumar said that the decision was taken under Article 161 which states that the State  Government has power to recommend the release of the convicts to the Governor.

Jayakumar said that the cabinet decided to recommend to State Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment for assassinating Rajiv Gandhi.

The moves comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts.

Seven convicts have been in jail for 27 years. The Minister told that the Cabinet decided to recommend the release of six other convicts also as they had appealed to the State for premature release.