: Nalini, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case lodged in Special Prison for Women, Vellore, wrote to the National Commission for Women for the second time in two months seeking the commission to “impress upon the government” to release her as she was the only woman life convict to spend more than 25 years in prison.
After meeting her in the prison on Saturday, advocate P.Pugazhendhi said she has written to the commission through Superintendent of the prison on Saturday.
According to the copy of her petition made available, Nalini was referring to her first petition to the commission sent on August 20 last, requesting the commission to initiate appropriate action for the purpose of her release from prison under article 72 of the Constitution. She said, “With a view to expediting the process of consideration of my representation at your end, I submit as follows…” She said that in all States, women life convicts were given preference in the matter of premature release i.e. after the completion of 10-14 years in prison.
In Tamil Nadu also, she said that 2,200 life convicts were released after the completion of 7 or 10 or 14 years of imprisonment between 2001 and 2008.
“I spend my days in prison watching hundreds of women prisoners getting released from prison time and again on important days like Perarignar Anna’s birthday. No day passes without tears. I have almost become depressed. My only longing is whether I would be able to see my daughter who is abroad and whether I would be able to arrange her marriage during my life time,” she said.
‘In all States, women life convicts are
given preference in the matter of premature release’
