Members of Eazha Tamizhar Viduthalai Kootamaippu staged a protest in front of the Collectorate, here on Monday, seeking the release of seven persons convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The Centre had earlier told the Madras High Court that the Governor was at liberty to decide the premature release application of the convicts, filed under Article 161 of the Constitution. Article 161 confers power on the governor to grant pardons, suspend, remit or commute sentences of any person convicted of any offence against any law.
On September 9, 2018, the Tamil Nadu cabinet adopted a resolution recommending to the governor to release all seven convicts - Nalini, Sriharan, Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and Ravichandran - from the prison prematurely.
The resolution was forwarded to Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
The protesters said the Centre's refusal of Nalini's plea last week to release her on the ground that she had been kept in illegal detention since September 9, 2018 when the State Cabinet made a recommendation to the Governor for releasing all seven convicts in the case was unjustified.
‘It is unjust’
S. Muthupandi of the forum said that it was unjust on the part of the Centre and State since many others who had committed grave crimes had been pardoned in the past.
“Why is this distinction when it comes to Tamil people?,” he said.