Should Rajiv Gandhi Assassins be Hanged?
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 31 August 2011, 04:13 IST   |    59 Comments
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However, after suffering imprisonment for the past 20 years, death seems to be just a span away for Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan as President Pratibha Patil rejected their mercy petition in Gandhi's killing. Rajiv Gandhi was killed during an election rally in Sriperumbudur near Chennai on May 21, 1991 which was orchestrated ordered by LTTE. In 1999, Supreme Court had confirmed the death sentence of four accused in the case - Nalini, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan. Later Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment at the intervention of Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv's widow.
Nalini, Rajiv Gandhi Killing
There has been a hue and cry over the decision to impose death penalty to the trio on September 9. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution for commuting the death sentence of the three accused. Presenting the case of the convicts, senior lawyer and politician Ram Jethmalani argued mercy petition of the assassins was rejected by the President after 11 years and four months. He said the delay is prima facie wrong and a notice seeking explanation should be sent. Hearing the petition, the Madras high court stayed hanging of the three convicts facing the gallows to eight weeks.

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