TN govt to ask advisory board to mull Nalini's plea: CM

Chennai, Sep 25 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said the government would ask the prison Advisory Board to reconsider the pleas of Nalini and two other life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case for premature release and submit its recommendations to the government.

A day after the Madras High Court asked the Prison Advisory Board to reconsider the pleas of Nalini, S Jayakumar and Robert Pyas, seeking premature release, stating that they had already spent 17 years in prison, Mr Karunanidhi cleared the decks for further proceedings.

As the High court had not set any deadline for the Board to meet and reconsider the pleas of the convicts, there was uncertainty whether the governmnt would implement the High Court order or prefer to go on an appeal.

However, Mr Karunanidhi, without giving room for any ambiguity, made it clear that the Board would be asked to meet again, consider the pleas of the three convicts and submit its recommendations.

Based on the recommendations, the government would take steps as per law and rules on the question of ordering the premature release of the trio, Mr Karunanidhi said, answering a set of questions.

He said as per the prison rules, the Advisory Board, comprising District Judge, District Collector, Prison Superintendent, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Zonal Conduct Officer and two non official members, would hear pleas from convicts like Nalini, who had completed 14 years of imprisonment and send reports to the government.

Since the High Court had held that the Advisory Board was not validly convened (when it heard the pleas of Nalini and others), the Chief Minister said the Board would meet again as directed by the court.

The High Court while disposing of the petitions filed by Nalini and two others, had said that the Advisory Board reconsider the pleas of Nalini and others for the government to decide whether the convicts should be given the benefit of premature release or not.

UNI WS ROY SK KN1503