TN Governor at liberty to decide on Rajiv Gandhi assassins’ mercy plea, Supreme Court

The Supreme Court last week said that the Governor of Tamil Nadu was at liberty to consider the mercy plea filed by one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, AG Perarivalan..The Supreme Court Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and KM Joseph passed an order to this effect on Thursday. The mercy plea filed by Perarivalan has been pending before the Governor of Tamil Nadu for about two years..“…it appears that an application under Article 161 of the Constitution has been filed before the Governor of Tamil Nadu by the respondent A.G.Perarivalan @ Arivu. Naturally, the authority concerned will be at liberty to decide the said application as deemed fit”, reads the Order..The Government of India had opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal regarding the release of those convicted for their role in the assassination of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. The Centre had informed the Court of its stand against this proposal on August 10, calling this a “dangerous precedent”..The Court, however, disposed of all pending applications in this regard, leaving the mercy plea to the discretion of the Tamil Nadu Governor..The Tamil Nadu cabinet, in furtherance of its initial proposal calling for the release of the seven convicts in the case, has decided to write to the Governor, NDTV reports..Read Order: