Chennai: Reasons to deny parole is unsustainable in law, according to S. Nalini, serving life sentence in Vellore prison for her involvement in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The state government had as early as in February 2014 decided to release her from prison but the decision was stayed by Supreme Court. “I have not been released from prison despite the fact that I had become eligible to be released from prison under various schemes of premature release of life convicts framed by the state government,” she said adding that the reasons cited by the state government to deny parole for six months to her to make arrangements for her daughter's marriage is unsustainable in law.
She said this in her rejoinder filed in Madras High Court in response to the counter affidavit filed by the state government to her petition seeking six months parole.She said only because of pendency of a petition before the Supreme Court, she continue to suffer as a life convict. She said if at all anything happened in prison after February 2014 as alleged by the state government, the happenings should not come in the way of grant of parole to her for the purpose of making arrangements for her daughter's marriage.
“Unless I am granted a minimum period of six months by way of parole or ordinary leave, I would not be in a position to make arrangements for the marriage of my daughter who is currently living in the United Kingdom. Moreover, my mother-in-law who is a Sri Lankan citizen, has come to India for this purpose. All relatives of my mother-in-law are together in Tamil Nadu for arranging my daughter's marriage. Therefore, a minimum period of six months' parole is necessary” she added. She said the averment made in the affidavit that in the event of grant of parole, she may escape from the lawful custody was not correct.
The state government has ignored the fact that she was a citizen of this country and she was suffering a long imprisonment despite the fact that she had become eligible to be released more than a decade ago, she added and pointed out that a co-life convict A.G. Perarivalan was already granted parole for two months.
