Madras High Court rules out general amnesty for Nalini Sriharan

CHENNAI - The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassin Nalini Sriharan, for her early release under a general amnesty scheme.

Sriharan had moved the High Court challenging the decision of the Tamil Nadu Government that had rejected her plea for premature release.

The Karunanidhi- led Dravida Munettra Kazhagam (DMK) Government had on March 11 said it would take a final call on Sriharan”s plea in two weeks time.

The State Government’s counsel is said to have given this assurance to the Madras High Court.

Earlier on March 10, a two-judge bench of the high court, comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice K.K. Sasidharan, had asked the State Government to submit their report on March 11.

Tamil Nadu Government advocate G.Desingu claimed the Government had just received the report and sought time to study it.

Nalini, who is undergoing life imprisonment, is lodged in the Vellore Central Jail.

In her petition, she said she was entitled for release as far as 2005, as she had completed 14 years in jail.

Nalini was convicted on 16 counts of murder, and found guilty under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code on all counts. She was also convicted under Section 3 of TADA and Section 120-B of the IPC, dealing with conspiracy.

Sriharan’s original death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after Sonia Gandhi sought a reprieve for Nalini after she had a baby daughter.

In September 2009, Nalini went on a hunger strike demanding that she be set free. (ANI)