Tamil Nadu Government rejects calls for Nalini Sriharan's premature release

Chennai, Mar 29 (ANI): The Tamil Nadu Government on Monday accepted the recommendations of the Prison Advisory Board to refuse premature release to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassin, Nalini Sriharan.

The Tamil Nadu Government was to deliver a verdict on Nalini's premature release on Monday.

The Karunanidhi- led Dravida Munettra Kazhagam (DMK) Government had on March 11 said it would take a final call on Sriharan's plea in two weeks time.

The counsel for the State Government is said to have given this assurance to the Madras High Court.

The state government also submitted the Prison Advisory Board report to the High Court.

"Hopefully, we should be able to report the decision before March 29, but the truth of the matter is the government has asked for certain additional details from the board and collector," said P S Raman, Advocate General of the Tamil Nadu Government.

"For some factors, beyond the government's control, if the decision making process takes a little longer we may have to ask the court for some more time," added Raman.

Earlier on March 10, a two-judge bench of the high court, comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice K.K. Sasidharan, had asked the State Government to submit their report on March 11.

Tamil Nadu Government advocate G.Desingu claimed the Government had just received the report and sought time to study it. Nalini, who is undergoing life imprisonment, is lodged in the Vellore Central Jail.

In her petition, she said she was entitled for release as far as 2005, as she had completed 14 years in jail.

Nalini was convicted on 16 counts of murder, and found guilty under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code on all counts. She was also convicted under Section 3 of TADA and Section 120-B of the IPC, dealing with conspiracy.

Sriharan's original death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after Sonia Gandhi sought a reprieve for Nalini after she had a baby daughter.

In September 2009, Nalini went on a hunger strike demanding that she be set free. (ANI)