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This is an archive article published on November 20, 2018

3 AIADMK men convicted in Dharmapuri bus burning case released

The bus was attacked during a protest by AIADMK men against the conviction of former CM Jayalalalithaa in Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotel case.

Three convicts serving a life term in the Dharmapuri bus burning case, in which three students were burnt alive following an attack on a college bus by AIADMK workers in February 2000, were released from Vellore prison Monday.

Three students — Kokilavani, Hemalatha and Gayathri of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore — were killed when a mob set their college bus, carrying 44 students and two lecturers for a study tour, on fire at Ilakkiampatti near Dharmapuri.

The bus was attacked during a protest by AIADMK men against the conviction of former CM Jayalalalithaa in Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotel case.

Vellore prison officials said they received an order from higher-ups before Monday afternoon for the release of Neduchezhian, Ravindran alias Madhu and Muniappan. Within an hour, around 12.30 pm, the trio was seen stepping out of the prison after serving a term for nearly two decades.

In March 2016, the Supreme Court had commuted the death sentence of the trio to life imprisonment. The proposal for their release was first mooted as part of the state government’s premature release scheme marking the birth centenary of AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran.

The trio’s premature release was recently recommended to Governor Banwarilal Purohit after the state government suggested the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case should also be released.

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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