New Delhi, March 9: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to A.G. Perarivalan, one of the convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case, after his lawyer pleaded that “he has been in jail for more than 30 years and never jumped parole”. A two-judge Bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao and also comprising Justice B R Gavai passed the order.
“We grant bail to him,” the judges said.
“He is entitled for bail in spite of vehement opposition from the Centre,” the court said. It was hearing is plea for early release. “He has been in jail for 32 years and never jumped parole. He was granted parole three times earlier in these 32 years. Perarivalan has already spent three decades in jail,” Gopal Shankarnarayan, Perarivalan’s lawyer, pleaded to the Supreme Court and sought bail.
The Centre highlighted the case against Perarivalan in connection with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in a suicide bombing at Sriperumbudur near Chennai in May 1991. The killing was blamed on the now vanquished Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, vehemently opposed the grant of bail to Perarivalan and said he has been convicted under the Arms Act and the Foreigner Act although he was acquitted under TADA.
The Supreme Court granted bail to Perarivalan as the Tamil Nadu Governor is yet to decide his plea seeking release from the prison. The Centre argued that the Central government (President) is the appropriate authority to decide his request. “He (Perarivalan) had already availed the benefit of reduction of death sentence to life term by citing delay in deciding his mercy plea and cannot claim more benefit by citing another delay,” Nataraj told the Supreme Court.
