Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Jayalalithaa backed release of convicts in 110 statement

Chennai: On February 19, 2014, the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had made a ‘110 statement’ in the Assembly announcing that following the Supreme Court referring the case to the State Government, the Cabinet had decided to release Perarivalan, Murugan and Santhan, whose death sentence had been remitted to life term, in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The Cabinet also decided to release Nalini, Robert Pyas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran serving life term in this case, she said, adding, “We will convey this decision to the Central Government and if we do not receive response within three days, we will ourselves release all of them”.

While the entire House applauded her announcement, thereby showing unanimity across the party lines to the government decision to release the seven persons, who have so far served 28 years in jail, the Centre chose to move the Supreme Court against it. The Union Home Ministry took the stand that releasing these seven would have “international ramifications” and set a dangerous precedent at a time when the country is facing serious threat from extremists.