Rajiv Gandhi killers should hang: Victim's families

Chennai Sept 9 : The families of victims of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who were killed along with the Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 in Sriperumbudur are on one day's hunger strike on Wednesday (Today) in Chennai. They are demanding the three convicts of assassination should hang at the earliest. The 15 victim's families are being supported by various congress workers of the state.

In 1999, the Supreme Court of India had confirmed the death sentences of four convicts; Murugan, Santhan Perarivalan and Nalini. However, Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after an intervention by Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi's widow and the Chairperson of UPA government. Mrs Gandhi considered the mercy petitions soon after Nalini delivered a baby girl in jail.

However, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan scheduled to be hanged on Sept 9, but last week, the Madras High Court posponed their execution by eight weeks. Murugan and the others have said that the President of India took 11 years to down their mercy petitions, which appealed to change their punishment to life imprisonment which violates Article 21 of the Constitution (Protection of life and personal liberty).

Earlier, Tamil Nadu assembly has passed an unanimous resolution to President of India to reconsider their mercy petitions.The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

OneIndia News