Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Convict Nalini Sriharan granted one-month parole

Nalini filed a habeas corpus petition in the Madras HC in April, seeking a six-month ordinary plea. She was allowed to argue her case in person in June.

In the plea, she said every life convict was entitled to one-month ordinary leave after the completion of two years' imprisonment but she didn't avail such leave even once during her over 27 years of imprisonment.

"I could not look after my daughter. I did not fulfill my motherly responsibilities. I did not fulfill my responsibilities to my father before he died," Nalini told the High Court.

"Now I have to meet my family for my daughter's wedding. I have to arrange for finances," she added.

Nalini was granted 24-hour parole in Mar'16 to attend her father's last rites.

The HC granted parole to Nalini on certain conditions. It ordered her to not give any interviews to media or entertain politicians while out on parole and asked her to observe all regulations under Tamil Nadu Prison Manual.

While she sought six-month parole, State Public Prosecutor A Natarajan submitted that a life convict can get a maximum of 30-day leave at a time.

Former PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 at Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur.

A special TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act) court handed death sentence to Nalini and other convicts in January 1998.

While the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence in 1999, it was commuted to a life sentence in 2000 upon the intervention of Gandhi's wife and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In Sep'18, the Tamil Nadu government recommended to the state Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of all seven life convicts, including Nalini, in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The state government made the recommendation to accord the convicts the benefit of a 1994 Government Order for the release of prisoners after 20 years. However, the same is pending with the Governor.