Rajiv Gandhi murder case: SC orders release of Perarivalan, to walk free after 31 years

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court ordered the release of A G Perarivalan, accused in the murder case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The court verdict is in accordance with Article 142 of the Constitution. He has already spent more than 30 years in jail. He was arrested on June 11 in 1991.

The Tamil Nadu Government had in 2018 recommended the governor to pardon and release him. No decision was taken on it yet. Perarivalan then approached the apex court.

Perarivalan was convicted of providing a 9-volt battery as an explosive device to Sivarasan, who conspired to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi. In 1998, 26 people were sentenced to death including Perarivalan. The next year 19 were acquitted. Perarivalan then filed a mercy plea.

Perarivalan's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2014 for delay in settling mercy petitions seeking commutation of the death sentence. Perarivalan was first granted parole on January 24, 2017 after 26 consecutive years in prison. He was last released on parole in April.