Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Row: Will Jail Bird Nalini freed from the cage

A million Dollar question posed in the minds of former PM Rajiv Gandhi's followers, whether the key convict Nalini Murugan in the assassination case will be freed from jail prematurely?

Amid speculation and political uproar, the Prison Advisory Board (PAB), constituted by the State government following a directive from the Madras High Court in response to a plea for premature release made by Nalini , a convict serving life term at the Vellore central prison in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has sent its report to the Tamil Nadu government, disclosed a reliable source.

But , in the meantime, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi today said in a interview, that the state government yet to receive the report of PAB.

"The State government won't take any decision on Nalini's premature release, without consulting central government, Karunanidhi said.

"In such a big case, I cannot decide independently", Karunanidhi added.

The five-member PAB board comprises of district collector Rajendran, district judge Kalaiarasan, prison superintendent N . Sekar, regional probation officer Krishna Namagiri and Beulah Emmanuel, a lecturer attached to the Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration (APCA).

The source said the Board, after going through the case of Nalini and two of her associates, Robert Pyas and Jayakumar, also serving life sentences and eight other persons who had been in jail for over 14 years, had prepared individual reports based on a set of criteria, like their crime and punishment profiles and their conduct in prison.

While the details of the report are not known, the ball is now in the government's court to consider the plea for premature release of Nalini and her accomplices.

The Board had been given three weeks' time to go through the ground situation, prepare reports and forward it to the state government.

The report assumes importance in the wake of Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy's writ petition before the Madras High Court, questioning the legality of the formation of the PAB to consider the plea.

Last week, Nalini had made a plea to the High Court to allow her to make a personal appearance in the case.

It is not known whether the court - would consider this plea or look at Swamy's contention of restraining the - PAB from considering her plea or go by the counter-argument that the PAB was only an advisory body and the State need not consider its recommendations.

Nalini was awarded capital punishment by the trial court and it has been confirmed by the Madras High Court and subsequently by the Supreme Court. On a mercy plea, Rajiv’s widow Sonia Gandhi agreed to commute, her capital punishment for life imprisonment.

- Asian Tribune -