Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts Nalini, five other convicts walk out of jail

New Delhi, Nov 12: Nalini Sriharan, her husband and three other convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were released from Tamil Nadu prisons on Saturday evening.

Nalini went to the Vellore central prison from where her husband V Sriharan alias Murugan was released immediately after she was released from the special prison for women in Vellore, and she became emotional upon seeing him, according to a report in PTI.

"I am thankful to the people of Tamil Nadu who supported me for 32 years. I thank both, the State and Union Government. I will speak about the rest in Chennai tomorrow during Press Meet. Supreme Court lawyers will also speak tomorrow," ANI quoted Nalini Sriharan in a tweet.

Murugan, along with Santhan, both Sri Lankan nationals, were taken in a police vehicle following their release to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli in the state.

Two other Lankan nationals -- Robert Payas and Jayakumar -- released from the Puzhal prison, were taken to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli to be lodged there. Earlier, another convict who was set free in May earlier, Perarivalan, along with his mother Arputhammal received the duo at the Puzhal prison.

Speaking to the media, her brother said that they are very happy today. "She is going to live a normal life with her family. We will try to get an appointment with him (CM MK Stalin)," she added.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the premature release of six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran, serving life sentence in the case. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna said the judgement of the top court in the case of A G Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the case, is equally applicable in their matter.

In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the decision of the Supreme Court to free the remaining killers of the former prime minister is "totally unacceptable and completely erroneous".

"The Congress party criticises it clearly and finds it wholly untenable. It is most unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India on this issue," he said.

Nalini Sriharan and Ravichandran had moved the top court seeking premature release.

Both of them had challenged a June 17 order of the Madras High Court, which rejected their pleas for early release, and cited the apex court judgment ordering the release of co-convict Perarivalan.

Nalini, Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were sentenced to life terms in the case.

Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally.