Mercy plea pending before Governor for 2 years: Rajiv’s killer to SC

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New Delhi,   A life convict in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case told the Supreme Court on Monday that no decision has been taken by the Tamil Nadu Governor on his mercy petition pending before him for over two years.

A bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Navin Sinha and Justice K.M. Joseph asked advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for A.G. Perarivalan, who is among the seven convicts in the case, to file the documents on record in two weeks.

Perarivalan, who had filed the mercy petition seeking remission or pardon from the Governor under Article 161 of the Constitution, contended through his advocate that he wanted to file the documents to bring it on record of the court as no decision has yet been taken on the mercy petition.

The court posted the matter for September 6 for further hearing.

On December 30, 2015, Perarivalan had filed the mercy petition before the Governor, saying he has suffered more than 24 years of solitary/ single confinement.

The now-vanquished Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka were blamed for the Congress leader’s killing by a suicide bomber at an election rally near Chennai in 1991.