Reconsider Nalini's plea for early release: HC to TN Govt

New Delhi, Sep 24: Madras High Court on Wednesday, Sep 24 quashed the Advisory Board order rejecting the plea of Nalini, convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, for early release.
The court said the government should reconstitute an advisory committee for Nalini's release. Nalini has spent 17 years in Nellore prison for Rajiv's assassination. The court said the Right to remission was entirely on the Tamil Nadu governmetn. Nalini, life convict, had appealed in May this year for an early release citing her good behaviour while in prison. There was a major setback earlier when the Tamil Nadu Government rejected her plea. The government had said Nalini would have to serve the full term of life imprisonment.

Nalini was awarded the death sentence, which was later changed to life imprisonment based on an appeal from Sonia Gandhi after Nalini gave birth to a girl in jail. Nalini and Murugan alias Sriharan, a former Tamil Tiger, had got married in jail. Both had been sentenced to death.

The Supreme Court ruled that both parents of a child cannot be awarded the death penalty together. Earlier on Friday, the Madras High Court reserved orders on the petition filed by Nalini.

Nalini and three others were arrested in 1991 in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and sentenced to death in 2000.

OneIndia News