SC Grants Bail To Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict After 30 Years Of Imprisonment

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday 9 March, the Supreme Court granted bail to the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict AG Perarivalan who completed more than 30 years of imprisonment.

The accused was sentenced to death in the year 1999 for his involvement in the assassination of the country's sixth Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The court believes that AG Perarivalan is entitled to bail now as he has served 30 years of his continuous jail said the SC on Wednesday.

The bench of justices consisting of Justice BR Gawai and Justice L Nageswara Rao passed the order in a special leave plea by the convict in 2016 against the refusal of Madras High Court to hear his petition seeking commutation of sentence.

According to the SC order, the bail will be subjected to the condition of the trial court and AG Perarivalan must report to the Jolarpette police station once every month.

The bench of justice headed by L Nageswara Rao found that Perarivalan is eligible of getting a release as he has been in prison for over 32 years in spite of the vehement opposition by the Centre and Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj.

The court noted that there is no argument or disagreement regarding Perarivalan undergoing more than 30 years of jail and earlier he was released on parole two times following which no complaint was received.

The centre in opposing the petition said that the President was the accurate authority to take decisions on the request of the applicant.

According to the centre the convict has already availed the reduction of death sentenced to entire life by citing a postponement earlier and he cannot take advantage of any more benefit by citing another postponement.

On this, the court replied that the stand by Union of India that the state government cannot entertain the plea mainly after sentence of death imposed has been reduced to sentence to whole life. It added that the matter is yet to get a final decision.

In May 1999, AG Perarivalan was sentenced to death at the young age of 19 for buying an eight-volt battery to trigger the belt bomb that killed Rajiv Gandhi, former India's PM.

In 2014, the sentence to death was commuted to life following the mercy petitions by him and the other 2 accused namely Santhan and Murugan from Sri Lanka.

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