Nalini Sriharan, her husband V Sriharan alias Murugan, and three other convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case on Saturday walked out of jails in Tamil Nadu, a day after the Supreme Court ordered their premature release. Immediately after she was released from the special prison for women in Vellore, Nalini went to the central prison from where Murugan was released and became emotional upon seeing him.
?I don?t feel happy at all because my husband is taken to Trichy special camp. I have been in jail for 32 years. What happiness do I get now after staying in prison for 32 years? I thank the Gandhi family. My deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones,? Nalini said in a press conference.
When asked about her future plans, she said, ?We will go and meet our daughter. I will settle whenever my husband goes. He wants to settle with my daughter. So I will also follow him. We have stayed in prison for 30 years. Are they (those families who lost their loved ones) not satisfied? I didn?t have any hope that I will be set free one day.?
She spoke to CNN-News after walking out of jail and said, ?My husband was taken to Trichy special camp. I was expecting to return along with my husband from jail. When they said they will take him to another camp, I was devastated. I thought we will stay together,? she added.
On being asked about a message to the Gandhi family, she said, ?I want to thank them.?
#Exclusive | Is spending 31 years in jail not enough?: Convict Nalini Sriharan?s speaks to News18?s @nimumurali on the premature release by #SC over the assassination of #RajivGandhi#SensationalSouth | @harishupadhya | #NaliniSriharan pic.twitter.com/lk0i0jifKS— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 12, 2022
Murugan, along with Santhan, both Sri Lankan nationals, were taken in a police vehicle following their release to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli in the state. Two other Lankan nationals ? Robert Payas and Jayakumar ? released from the Puzhal prison, were taken to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli to be lodged there.
Earlier, another convict who was set free in May earlier, Perarivalan, along with his mother Arputhammal received the duo at the Puzhal prison.
All of them were serving life term for about three decades in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna on Friday said the judgment of the top court in the case of AG Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the case, is equally applicable in their matter.
Following the order, Congress general secretary in charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the party criticizes it clearly and finds it wholly untenable. “It is most unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India on this issue,? he said.
In 2000, Nalini?s sentence was reduced to a life term on the intervention of Rajiv Gandhi?s wife Sonia Gandhi. Sonia had earlier urged the court to show clemency to Nalini, who was pregnant when she was arrested, NDTV reported.
Nalini had moved the top court seeking premature release. She had challenged a June 17 order of the Madras High Court, which rejected her plea for early release, and cited the apex court judgment ordering the release of co-convict Perarivalan.
(with PTI inputs)
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment