V. Sriharan alias Murugan, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, launched a fast unto death at the Vellore Central Prison for Men on Friday.
According to a senior official of the Prisons Department, Murugan stopped taking food from noon. He had earlier sent a petition to the officials of the Prisons Department seeking permission to go on fast unto death.
Quoting his petition, the official said, “He wants to end his life by abjuring food. He petitioned seeking that he should not be troubled and should be helped to attain his unification with God by giving up food.”
Imprisoned for over 26 years, Murugan, aged 46, had submitted a petition to the Additional Director General of Police, Prisons Department, regarding his decision to go on fast unto death.
The official said that department officials were holding talks with Murugan to give up the fast. “We have asked him to take food and wait for the Supreme Court’s decision in the case for premature release,” he said.
