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Governor rejects Rajiv assassins' mercy plea

Tamil Nadu Governor M Fathima Beevi has rejected the mercy petitions of the four convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Balachandra, superintendent of the Vellore Central Prison where the four prisoners are lodged, said that he received a communication to this effect from the inspector general (prisons) on Wednesday night.

He said the convicts and their lawyers were informed about it the same night. They -- Nalini, her husband Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan -- are expected to file a fresh set of clemency petitions to the President within a week.

Incidentally, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had on Tuesday said he was against capital punishment: "I always hold the view that death sentence should be commuted to life to enable the prisoners to reform themselves."

The convicts had sent their petitions to the governor on October 18, pleading her to exercise her power under Article 161 of the Constitution.

The counsel for the accused said he would meet the convicts on Friday to arrange for filing fresh petitions to the President.

UNI

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