6 convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case walk free after three decades

Chennai, November 12

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Nalini Sriharan and five other convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case finally walked out of the Tamil Nadu prisons on Saturday evening after about three decades of incarceration.

Nalini, wife of V Sriharan alias Murugan, who was the first to be released, claimed her firm belief that she was innocent had kept her alive all these years.

“Otherwise, I would have ended my life. Do you think I have murdered the former Prime Minister? Seventeen murder cases have been framed against me,” the 55-year-old Nalini said in her first reaction to the media after she stepped out of the special prison for women in Vellore, about 150 km from here.

Her husband Murugan, a Sri Lankan national, along with another convict Santhan, also from Sri Lanka, were released from the Vellore prison. Besides them, two other Sri Lankan nationals — Robert Payas and Jayakumar — were released from the Puzhal prison here. All four were taken to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli to be lodged there.

Earlier, another convict who was set free in May, AG Perarivalan, along with his mother Arputhammal received the duo at Puzhal prison.

The sixth convict P Ravichandran, on parole in Thoothukudi district, was brought to Madurai prison where he completed the formalities and was released. Immediately after her release, Nalini went to the Vellore central prison and became emotional upon seeing Murugan.

The SC on Friday set free Nalini and five other convicts, who were serving life term for about three decades, noting that its earlier order releasing Perarivalan was equally applicable to them.

When asked about the fate of her husband, Nalini’s advocate P Pugazhendi said that the state government would decide. “Santhan had already expressed his intent to return to Sri Lanka. Initially, they may be lodged at the Sri Lankan refugee camp,” he said.