Arputhammal, mother of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, can’t wait to see her son back home.
The septuagenarian has been battling for over two decades to get her son freed.
News of the Supreme Court asking the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider Perarivalan’s petition for release came when she was trying to get him shifted from Vellore to Puzhal prison in Chennai.
“I am eagerly waiting to see my son back home. He is presently in Puzhal Central Prison for some treatment. I have also shifted to Chennai for treatment of diabetes and other age-related problems,” she said.
“I have petitioned the prison authorities to arrange for keeping my son in Puzhal prison permanently since the medical facilities are better here for both of us,” she added.
Ms. Arputhammal thanked the Supreme Court for the order that came as a huge relief for the families of all the seven convicts.
“My son was arrested at the age of 19 years and he is 47 now...all his prime years were spent within the four walls of the prison. I also want to thank former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa who passed a resolution in the Assembly for the release of my son and other convicts. We have decided to meet Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami in a day or two for help with an early release,” she said.
Soon after the Union Government rejected the plea for releasing the convicts a couple of months ago, Ms. Arputhammal urged the government to consider mercy killing for her son. “I couldn’t see him suffer anymore. I had no option but to seek euthanasia for my son. We are all so happy now that he is going to be back home,” she said.
On the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Ms. Arputhammal said he should not have been killed. “We are all ardent followers of Thanthai Periyar and strongly believe in non-violence. The charge against my son, that he bought a 9-volt battery for triggering the explosion, was baseless since the investigation into the making of the belt bomb is still incomplete. While the assassins are all dead, the probe into the larger conspiracy behind the assassination remains a mystery,” she said.
Ms. Aruputhammal said Perarivalan was not released even after the former Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigation, V. Thiagarajan, admitted to the fact that he did not record his confession in full while in 1991.