With the Tamil Nadu Governor set to decide on the plea to release A.G. Perarivalan, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, relatives of a few other convicts have appealed for a decision on the release of the six other convicts.
On Wednesday, Padma, mother of the prime accused Nalini Sriharan, and Shanthi, wife of another convict Jayakumar, released video statements, seeking the release of all the convicts. They expressed apprehensions following reports that only Perarivalan’s release would be decided by the Governor.
Nalini, her husband Murugan alias Sriharan, Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran and Robert Payas are undergoing life imprisonment.
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Padma, who was also arrested in the case and was later acquitted, appealed for the release of all the convicts. “Please consider our request on humanitarian grounds,” she said. A family member of one of the convicts said he was unable to come out openly to present the demand as “our livelihood could be affected owing to media attention”.