The Supreme Court on Wednesday offered the Central government an “escape route” by agreeing to have Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict A. G. Perarivalan released from jail after serving a sentence of more than three decades.
The court advised the Centre against pursuing a “bizarre,” if not plainly “unconstitutional,” argument that the Tamil Nadu Governor chose to “ignore” the State Cabinet’s binding advice to release Perarivalan, who is serving a life sentence and is now on bail, because the President had the authority to take a decision on the mercy plea.
