Rajiv Gandhi Assassination: Three convicts seek early release

Three convicts who were handed out life sentences for their role in the May 21, 1991 assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, have appealed to the Special Public Prosecutor of a Human Rights Court here for their release.

Chennai, May 20 : Three convicts who were handed out life sentences for their role in the May 21, 1991 assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, have appealed to the Special Public Prosecutor of a Human Rights Court here for their release.

Describing themselves as 'political prisoners', S Jayakumar, Robert Payas (both Sri Lankans) and P Ravichandran, claimed that their pleas for premature release had been rejected due to reasons extraneous to jail rule provisions.

They also said that a State Government order dated July 18, 2007, which denied them early release, did not specify the jurisdiction of the Centre and it had been issued without consulting the Centre.

Special Public Prosecutor V Kannadasan said on Tuesday that he would forward the letter written by the three convicts to along with his views, to the Prime Minister, the President and the National Human Rights Commission.

He did not disclose what he would be recommending.

The three were found guilty along with Nalini, Murugan, Santhan and A G Perarivalan.

Their letter followed the recent petition by Nalini in the Madras High Court seeking early release. Her death sentence was commuted to life following Congress President Sonia Gandhi's intervention after Nalini delivered a baby girl at the Vellore prison.

ANI