New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday set free all the six convicts undergoing life imprisonment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had earlier favoured the premature release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts Sriharan and R P Ravichandran, saying its 2018 advice for remission of their life sentence is binding upon the governor.
In two separate affidavits, the state government told the top court that in a cabinet meeting held on September 9, 2018, it had considered mercy petitions of seven convicts in the case and resolved to recommend the governor for remission of their life sentences invoking the power granted under Article 161 of the Constitution.
Sriharan, Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, AG Perarivalan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were sentenced to life terms and they have spent over 23 years in jail.
Both Sriharan and Ravichandran have been on parole from December 27 last year till date as sanctioned by the state government under the Tamil Nadu Suspension of Sentence Rules, 1982, based on their request.
