SC to hear plea of blast victims families against release of Rajiv killers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today agreed to hear the plea of the families of victims of the 1991 blast that killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi challenging Tamil Nadu government's decision to release the seven convicts in the case.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, said it would hear the plea on March 6 along with the Centre's plea against the release of the prisoners.

The petition was filed by a group of people comprising Abbas and John Joesph family members of the victims, a local Congress politician Americai Narayanan and three others. Questioning the state government's decision to release the prisoners, the petitioners said the clemency power is vested with the Governor and the President under the Constitution and how can remission power be granted to a state.

Earlier last week, the Supreme Court had restrained the state government from releasing the convicts. It had directed the state government to maintain status quo and said it will hear on March 6 the Centre's plea against the state government's decision to release all the seven prisoners undergoing life imprisonment. Jayalalithaa government had on February 19 decided to set free all the seven convicts in the assassination case.