Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict attacked in prison

Chennai, Sep 13: One of the convicts jailed for life in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, A.G. Perarivalan on Tuesday was attacked by a fellow convict in the Vellore prison, said a top district official.

"Perarivalan was attacked with a log by a fellow convict. He suffered minor wound on his forehead and medical attention was immediately provided. The wound was closed with some stitches," S.A. Raman, Vellore District Collector told IANS over phone.

Perarivalan was attacked by Rajesh Khanna. The two were housed in the same cell till recently.

According to Raman, what provoked Rajesh to attack Perarivalan was not clear and an inquiry will be held.

Meanwhile, PMK founder S. Ramadoss condemning the attack, said Khanna was earlier housed in the same cell with Perarivalan and was recently shifted to a different cell.

Ramadoss said the the prison authorities' version, that Khanna felt that Perarivalan was behind his cell change and attacked him, was not convincing.

The PMK leader said there were no answers as to how Rajesh got hold of the log to attack Perarivalan and why his cell was changed.

Perarivalan and six other convicts have been in prison since 1991, the year a woman Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew up Gandhi at an election rally near Chennai.

IANS