Rajiv assassination convicts can’t be released: Indian govt tells SC
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NEW DELHI: In India, Centeral government has informed the Indian Supreme Court that it was against the release of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts, saying that such a decision in a case involving the “gruesome” killing of a former Prime Minister would set a wrong precedent.
Indian government told the Supreme Court that it does not concur with the Tamil Nadu government's proposal to release seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
It said that remission of their sentence will set a dangerous precedent and have international ramifications.
A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K M Joseph took the document filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs on record and adjourned the matter.
On 23rd January this year, the apex court had asked the Centre to take a decision within three months on a 2016 letter by Tamil Nadu government seeking its concurrence on releasing seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The letter, written on 2nd March 2016, had said the state government has already decided to release the seven convicts, but it is necessary to seek the Centre's concurrence as per an apex court order of 2015.The Home Ministry said that the trial court had given cogent reasons for imposing death penalty upon the accused.
The Ministry pointed out that even the Supreme Court had termed the assassination an unparallel act in the annals of crimes committed in this country.Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. Indian Supreme Court, in 2014, had commuted the death sentence of three convicts citing inordinate delay by the executive in deciding their mercy plea.
APP
