The Madras High Court on Monday reserved orders on writ petitions filed by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts S. Nalini and R.P. Ravichandran to release them without waiting anymore for the Governor’s consent to a 2018 Cabinet recommendation to release all seven convicts involved in the case.
Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N. Mala deferred their verdict after hearing Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram for the State and the advocates representing the two petitioners. The A-G told the court that the State might not be able to release the convicts without the Governor’s signature.
During the course of arguments, the Chief Justice wondered how far the recent judgement of the Supreme Court ordering the release of co-convict A.G. Perarivalan would be of use to the present petitioners since that order had been passed by invoking the exclusive jurisdiction of the apex court under Article 142 of the Constitution.
