Agencies, Chennai
Ms Nalini, one of the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, moved the Madras High court on Thursday seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to grant six month parole to her for making arrangements for the marriage of her daughter, who was residing in the United Kingdom.
While assuring the court that she would not flee the country as told by the state government if she was released on parole, Nalini, in her petition, also cited the two month parole granted to co-convict A G Perarivalan.
She said the State government had as early as in February 2014 decided to release her from prison. ‘Since the Supreme Court had stayed it, I was not released from prison despite the fact that I am eligible to be released from prison under various Schemes of Premature Release of Life Convicts framed by the state government’, she said.
Nalini, who is the wife of co-convict Murugan alias Sriharan, also submitted that the reasons cited by the state government for denying her parole were unsustainable in law.
Nalini said unless she was granted a minimum period of six month parole or ordinary leave, she would not be in a position to make arrangements for the marriage of her daughter.
‘’Moreover, my mother-in-law, who is a Sri Lankan citizen, has to come to India for this purpose’’, Nalini, who was lodged in Vellore Central Prison, said. ‘’All the relatives of my mother-in-law and my mother are to gather in Tamil Nadu for arranging my daughter’s marriage’’, she said.
She also termed as incorrect, the averment made by the state government in its counter affidavit that she would escape from the lawful custody if she was released on parole.
‘’The state government has ignored the fact that I am a citizen of this country and I am suffering a long term imprisonment despite I had become eligible to be released more than a decade ago’’, she added.
She also pointed out that co-life convict Perarivalan alias Arivu was already granted parole for two months by the state government and sought a direction to the state government to grant ordinary leave to her for a period of six months for the purpose of making arrangements for her daughter’s marriage and render justice.
