Supreme Court Rejects the Plea for Releasing Rajiv Gandhi’s Convicts

Guwahati: The apex body of India, Supreme Court on Friday, released its updated judgment on the Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassination convict. It has rejected the mercy plea of releasing the convicts involved in the gruesome killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In April 2018, a Three-Judge-Panel received a letter from Tamil Nadu Government, wherein, they urge centre, to release the 16 convicts who had been undergoing life imprisonment from the past 25 years. The members in the panel were Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K.M. Joseph.

Following this, the centre has rejected the letter and told the State government that the assassination was an unparallel act in the annals of crimes committed in this country. They also added that the brutal act brought the Indian democratic process to a grinding halt as much as the general elections to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies in some States had to be postponed.

The centre has also explained to Tamil Nadu that, letting the convicts free, would be a ‘dangerous precedent’ and may also lead to International ramifications by other such criminals in future.

A similar letter was also given earlier by Tamil Nadu to centre on March 2, 2018, granting ramification. Failing to reply for almost two years, the Centre’s response in April came after a Supreme Court order asked it to do so.

After repeated proposals given by Tamil Nadu, centre consulted the matter with CBI, and finally came to the conclusion that the assassination was brutal and in pursuance of a diabolical plot carefully considered and executed by a highly organized foreign terrorist organization.

CBI as well as the highest forums of the judiciary and executive body of the nation, after a thorough investigation, opposed the plea made by the Tamil Nadu Government, said centre.

Tamil Nadu’s first proposed remission on the release of 16 convicts dated in a letter on February 19, 2014.