CHENNAI: Welcoming the Supreme Court order commuting the death sentence of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, political parties in Tamil Nadu demanded their immediate release as they have already spent 23 years in jail.
The DMK conference in Tiruchi on Sunday adopted a resolution for commuting their death sentence, besides pressing for a legislation to dispense with capital punishment in the country. Reacting to the judgement, party president M. Karunanidhi said the State and the Centre should take a cue from the SC order and release the trio immediately. “I will be doubly happy if the State and the Centre implement the suggestion of the Supreme Court and release them immediately.” In the past, he said, his government had released Kaliaperumal, Thiyagu and Nalini, who were also awarded the death sentence.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who was present in the court, told The Hindu soon after the verdict: “This is a historic judgment and will go down in golden letters in judicial history.”
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Mr. Vaiko celebrated the judgment by presenting a shawl to advocate Ram Jethmalani, who appeared for the three in the Madras High Court. “There is not even an iota of link between the three and the assassination that took place at Sriperumpudur. He appealed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take into consideration the judgment and order the release of the three convicts, exercising the State government’s powers under Section 432 of the Cr.P.C.
PMK leader S. Ramadoss, Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani and CPI State secretary D. Pandian also called upon the Tamil Nadu government to take a cue from the order and consider the trio’s release.
While CPI(M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan welcomed the judgment,, Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan said the judgment had exalted India’s position in the international arena.
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