Will fight legally, Rajiv assassination convict says
Move comes after government files review petition on release of convicts
RP Ravichandran, one of the six convicts in the assassination case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, said that he would fight legally the review petition filed by the Central government in the Supreme Court against the November 11 release order.
Ravichandran went to the Viduthalai Chiruthigal Katchi (VCK) party head office yesterday and was welcomed by the party president Thol Thirumavalavan.
The Central government on Thursday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the Nov. 11 order allowing the release of six convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
A bench of BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna passed the order while taking into consideration the good conduct of convicts in prison. The apex court had noted that they had been behind bars for a very long period.
Seeking a review of the top court’s order, the Centre said: “The order granting remission to the convicts who had assassinated the former prime minister of the country was passed without affording an adequate opportunity of hearing to Union of India.”
Talking about his release, Ravichandran said: “I am happy that I have been released from prison. I was in prison for years and I am going to see this world freely.”
On November 11, the Supreme Court ordered the release of six convicts including RP Ravichandran and Nalini Sriharan, who were serving life imprisonment in connection with the assassination.
Earlier soon after coming out of the jail, Ravichandran said that the people of north India should see them as “victims instead of terrorists or killers”.
Ravichandran and Nalini had approached the apex court seeking release from prisonlike fellow convict AG Perarivalan.
This came after the Supreme Court, on May 18, had evoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to release AG Perarivalan, who was one of the seven convicts in the assassination case.