Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday said his government was committed to the release of seven Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts and expressed hope that the Governor Banwarilal Purohit will act on the Cabinet recommendation for setting them free.
Mr. Palaniswami’s statement comes amidst renewed calls, both from the Opposition and Tamil groups, for the release of the seven, serving life terms, after the Supreme Court recently disposed of a plea of the kin of those killed along with the former Prime Minister in 1991 opposing their release.
The kin had challenged the Tamil Nadu government’s earlier decision in 2014 to release the seven convicts. In September 2018, the State Cabinet had adopted a resolution recommending to Mr. Purohit the release of the seven convicts.
Speaking to reporters in Salem, Mr. Palaniswami said the Cabinet resolution was passed in line with public sentiment. “We wanted the seven to be released and that is why adopted a Cabinet resolution and sent it to the Governor. The Governor has to decide [on the matter],” he said.
On September 9, 2018, the AIADMK government recommended to Mr. Purohit the release of all seven convicts – Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini.