Three men who were sentenced to death for their alleged involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, have had their sentences commuted by India’s Supreme Court.
Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan have been imprisoned for more than 20 years and were sentenced to death by hanging in 1998. After submitting mercy pleas, they were kept in a state of limbo, until in 2011 when their pleas were rejected. Intervention by the Madras High Court saw their executions delayed, until today, when the decision was finally taken to remove the men from death row.
Yug Mohit Chaudhary, representing the men stated,
"The Supreme Court said it is inhuman to keep somebody under the shadow of the noose for so long… The death penalty cannot be executed after such a long delay and the government has not been able to explain the delay. The court said the prisoners have undergone unbearable torture and mental anguish during this period."
He added,
“It is an enlightened and humane judgment… The ruling takes the march towards abolition of death penalty forward.”
Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, Saravana Kumar from the Save Tamils Movement welcomed the Supreme Court's decision, saying,
"In India, the death sentence is against human rights, not just against these 3 men. We are totally against it - it should be abolished."
He went on to call for the immediate release of the three men stating,
“In this case the investigation did not happen properly, either the case has to be fully investigated again, or all three must be released immediately.”
DMK leader Karunanidhi echoed those calls, stating that the central and state government should now release the men.
"If that happens, I will be doubly happy," said Karunanidhi.
See our previous posts:
Renewed calls against death sentences in Rajiv Gandhi case (21 August 2011)
