Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Nalini Sriharan’s mother has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State government to take appropriate steps to save the life of her daughter and son-in-law Murugan alias Sriharan who were on a fast unto death demanding their early release.

Steps sought

The petition filed by S. Padma, 80, is expected to be listed for hearing before a Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and M. Nirmal Kumar on Friday. In an affidavit filed through her counsel P. Pugalenthi, the petitioner insisted upon some urgent measures since the health condition of the couple had been deteriorating day by day.

According to her, the State government had already taken a decision to release all the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case since they were languishing in prison for more than two decades. However, the decision could not be implemented for long for want of the Governor’s assent required under Article 161 of the Constitution.

In order to impress upon an early decision by the Governor, Murugan had undertaken a fast-unto-death inside the central prison at Vellore since February 5 and his wife, lodged in a special prison for women also at Vellore, followed him suit since February 8. The State was duty bound to step in and save them from the jaws of death, the petitioner said.