New Delhi, March 9: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to one of the convicts serving life imprisonment, AG Perarivalan, in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Perarivalan was granted relief by the Supreme Court, which took into account his behaviour, ill health, and the fact that he had spent more than 30 years in prison. When he was released on parole three times earlier, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai noted that there were no complaints regarding his conduct.
For the first time since his arrest, Perarivalan was ordered to be released on bail.
"There is sufficient material produced by the petitioner regarding his conduct, his ill health, educational qualification and taking into account the fact that he has spent more than 30 years in prison, we are of the view that he should be released on bail," the bench said in its ruling.
The apex court said that the bail will be subject to the satisfaction of the trial court's conditions and the petitioner has to report to the local police at his native place during the first week of every month.
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The panel also noted that Governor is yet to decide Perarivalan's plea seeking release from prison. The top court gave bail to Perarivalan despite the Centre opposing his bail plea vehemently.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during a poll rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on the night of May 21, 1991, by a female suicide bomber known as Dhanu.
The apex court commuted Perarivalan's death sentence to life imprisonment on February 18, 2014, citing the Centre's 11-year delay in deciding mercy petitions.
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-PTC News