Rajiv killers to be heard on Nov 29

Chennai, Oct 28 (IBNS) The Madras High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of petitions by three people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case till November 29.

The three convicts- A.G.Perarivalan alias Arivu, V.Sriharan alias Murugan and T.Suthendraraja alias Santhan-had filed petitions seeking commutation of capital punishment.

Meanwhile, the Center on Friday strongly objected to the petitions and said there should be no delaying in executing death sentence to the convicts.

The Centre´s counter in Perarivalan´s case said, "He is a hardcore militant and a paid LTTE employee and was very much a part of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. There is no question of delay in a case of this nature. If Petitioner claims right to life, he has a duty not to take life of others."

The Centre said the case is being used by political parties to gain mileage.

"Because MPs MLAs and politicians are writing in support for commutation of sentence this is not a valid ground. Commutation of sentence will create a bad precedent. The plea of the petitioner is politically supported and it is being done by political leaders to gain political mileage," said the Centre.

On Aug 30, the Madras High Court stayed the execution of three people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case for eight weeks, while Tamil Nadu assembly adopted a resolution for commuting the death sentence to lifer.

Famous lawyer Ram Jethmalani had appeared for the convicts- AG Perarivalan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan and Sriharan alias Murugan.

They were to be hanged on Sept 9 after languishing in jail for the past 20 years. Their mercy petition before the President was lying unattended for 11 years.

On Aug 11 last, President Pratibha Patil rejected their mercy petition.

Rajiv Gandhi, the sixth Prime Minister of India, was killed at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, India on 21 May 1991. At least 14 others were also killed.

Gandhi´s assassination was carried out by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu, who was found after investigations to be a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber.