AMN / WEB DESK
ALL The six life convicts — Nalini, R.P. Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar — in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were freed from jail on Saturday evening after the Supreme Court ordered their release.
Director-General of Police (Prisons) Amaraesh Pujari told media, “After receiving the orders of the Supreme Court on Saturday afternoon, we completed all the formalities for the release of the prisoners. Subsequently, we have set them free from our prisons… Two of them — Nalini and Ravichandran — who were on ordinary leave were recalled and they reported back to the prisons. They were set free later after finishing the formalities…”
Nalini was released from the Special Prison for Women, Vellore. Murugan and Santhan were freed from the Central Prison, Vellore, Robert Payas and Jayakumar from the Central Prison, Puzhal, and Ravichandran was freed from the Central Prison, Madurai.
Following its order in May directing the release of life convict A. G. Perarivalan by invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court on Friday invoked the extraordinary jurisdiction to extend the same benefit to six others convicted and ordered that they be set free forthwith. The court held the six are on the same footing as they all also spent more than 30 years in jail.
In her first reaction after coming out Vellore jail on Saturday, convict Nalini Sriharan thanked the state and Central government and said that they “helped a lot during this period.”
Speaking about her future plans and whether she will live in India or shift abroad, she said that she will go wheever her husband goes.
“I will go wherever my husband goes. We were separated for 32 years. Our family kept waiting for us,” she said.
“I want to be with my family. All members of my family were waiting for such a long time. I want to thank the State and Central govt. They helped us a lot during this period,” Nalini Sriharan added.
Earlier, after walking out of jail, Nalini said, “I thank all those those who supported me for last 32 years. I’ll speak in detail after coming to Chennai. I will focus family life. I spoke to my daughter.”