Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: SC asks victim families to file fresh petitions

New Delhi, Sep 17: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the families of the victims in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to amend their petitions and file fresh petitions after three weeks.

The victim families have been urging the government to not release the convicts in the case.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit denied Saturday reports in a section of the media that he had forwarded to the Centre the state government's recommendation to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The Governor said a decision on the issue would be taken in a "just and fair manner" in accordance with the Constitution. "A section of media has been reporting that in the matter of the release of the convicted prisoners undergoing life imprisonment for involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, a reference has been made to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India," a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan said.

Also, some television channels have been holding debates on this "assumption", it said. "It is clarified that no reference has been made to the Ministry of Home Affairs in the matter. The case is a complex one and involves the examination of legal, administrative and constitutional issues," the statement by Joint Director-Public Relations of the Raj Bhavan, said.

On September 9, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet had recommended the release of all the seven Rajiv case convicts, including Nalini and her husband Sriharan alias Murugan. All the seven prisoners have been in jail since 1991.

Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a blast at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near here on May 21, 1991. Fourteen others, including Dhanu, the assassin, were also killed.