Chennai: The Madras high court has granted 24 hours of emergency leave commencing from 4 pm Tuesday to S. Nalini, serving life sentence in Vellore prison for her involvement in Rajiv Gandhi assassination, to attend the 16th day obsequies of her father at Kottur in Chennai.
Allowing the petition filed by Nalini, the judge directed Nalini not to give any interview to anybody and she should be confined to her house where the obsequies were performed.
Setting aside the order of the superintendent of prison, Vellore, rejecting the representation of Nalini, seeking 3 days' leave, the judge directed the superintendent of prison to send Nalini along with escort on Tuesday at 4 pm and she should be brought back to the special prison for Women, Vellore on March 9 at 4 pm.
The judge made it clear that superintendent of prison should make all effective arrangements for escort free of cost, as per rules and it was also further made clear that the prisoner should stay at her residence during night hours and there should be sufficient escort round-the-clock till she was brought back to the prison. And it was also their responsibility to bring back her to the special prison for women, Vellore.
The judge said Nalini's father died on February 23 at Tirunelveli and his body was brought to Chennai on February 24. The superintendent of prison had granted 12 hours parole to her on February 24. She had given a representation to grant three-day emergency leave to perform the 16th day obsequies of her father, but the same was rejected by the superintendent of prison. It was true that there was no provision for granting emergency leave to attend the 16th day obsequies.
But, however, among Hindus the presence of daughters was necessary for performing the 16th day obsequies. Since, the petitioner was the daughter of the deceased Sankaranarayanan, her presence was necessary to pay her last respects to her father. Hence, the order passed by the superintendent of prison was set aside. "Therefore, I am of the view that 24 hours emergency leave is sufficient to perform the 16th day obsequies of her father", the judge added.
