The six Indian and Sri Lankan nationals convicted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi are likely to be released from jail today. The jail authorities have reportedly received copies of the Supreme Court order that secured their premature release and set in motion formalities required to end their three-decades-long incarceration. Nalini Sriharan, who has been released from jail, may stay in Chennai or might join her daughter who lives in London, her lawyer P Pugazhendi told PTI. “She will take a call on this,” he added.
Nalini’s husband V Sriharan alias Murugan — a co-convict — is a Sri Lankan national. The lawyer said that the Tamil Nadu government will decide his fate.
Santhan, Robert Payas, and Jayakumar are Sri Lankans while Nalini and R P Ravichandran, belong to Tamil Nadu.
Santhan has expressed his will to return to Sri Lanka.
Earlier today, Nalini, who was on parole, reached the Katpadi police station. She was later taken to the Vellore prison to complete the formalities regarding her release.
The Supreme Court on Friday set the six convicts free, observing that its order releasing co-convict AG Perarivalan earlier this year extended to other convicts as well.
Gandhi was killed by LTTE operatives in Sriperumbudur in 1991 during the general election campaign by a suicide bomber named Dhanu. Sri Lanka’s Tamil militia feared Gandhi might send back the peace-keeping force should he return to power.