Rajiv assassination — Governor pardons Nalini

Today the Home Department of Tamil Nadu sent a letter to the Superintendent of Vellore Central Prison stating that the death sentence of Nalini had been commuted to life imprisonment. The letter added that the death sentence of the other three convicts had been confirmed. They, however, have another chance to file a mercy petition before the President.

The counsel for the three, N Chandrasekar, told PTI in Chennai that he would be going to Vellore on Wednesday to get their signatures on fresh mercy petitions to be sent to the President.

The Governor had earlier rejected the mercy petitions of all the four convicts but the decision was held invalid by the Madras High Court on the ground that the order was not based on the advice of the council of ministers. Subsequently, the matter was considered afresh by the Cabinet at a recent meeting, official sources said.

All the 26 suspects who had been sent to trial before a designated court at Poonamallee near Chennai had been sentenced to death on January 28, 1998. But the Supreme Court confirmed the death penalty only for these four.

For three others — Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravi — the court reduced the sentences to life imprisonment. It acquitted the rest of the any involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991, but upheld their conviction for minor offences.