Will Urge Governor To Release Rajiv Case Convicts: Panneerselvam

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Friday said the government will continue to urge Governor Banwarilal Purohit to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The government was for the release of all the convicts, he said and recalled that as early as in 2014, when late J. Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister, a decision was taken to release the seven convicts and the Centre was apprised of it.

The Supreme Court has now dismissed a plea against the release of the seven convicts and the Governor could take a decision to release them, he said.

"We will continue to urge Governor Banwarilal Purohit, on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, to release the Rajiv case convicts," he told reporters here.

Senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said the government was confident Purohit would take a good decision at the appropriate time.

He said already pressure was exerted on Raj Bhavan over the matter and added, "We will continue to do that...we cannot however, force the Governor (to take a decision on their release)."

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea against the release of the seven convicts.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said, "All aspects were covered in the earlier constitution bench verdict in the case and therefore nothing survives in the case".

PTI