Celebrations in Tamil Nadu as Rajiv killers’ hanging stayed
August 30th, 2011 - 6:55 pm ICT by IANS
Chennai, Aug 30 (IANS) Celebrations broke out in Chennai and other towns of Tamil Nadu after the Madras High Court Tuesday stayed the Sep 9 hanging of three men convicted for involvement in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
A huge crowd gathered outside the high court Tuesday morning to await the ruling of the two-judge bench hearing the petitions filed by the three men.
The crowd’s morale got a boost when the news reached them that the state assembly had passed a resolution urging President Pratibha Patil to commute the death sentences of Murugan alias Sriharan, T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan and A.G. Perarivalan alias Arivu to life imprisonment.
The news was celebrated with joyous cries and bursting of crackers.
The crowd burst out with joy when they heard that the bench, after hearing lawyer Ram Jethmalani’s argument for around 40 minutes, ordered an interim stay on the hanging by eight weeks and issued notices to the central and the state government.
The slogan “Tamil Vazga, Tamil Vazga!” rent the air.
When MDMK general secretary Vaiko and Jethmalani came out of the court, the crowd shouted slogans in their praise.
Arputhammal, the mother of Perarivalan, told reporters that all the three convicts were innocent.
“The court’s decision and the resolution in the state assembly gives me new hope. I had lost hope of seeing my son alive. I am thankful to the judiciary, the assembly and the people who came to support my son,” she said.
In other parts of the state where protests were being held against the death sentence for the trio, similar celebrations were held.
In Chennai, the mood at the venue where three female advocates were fasting turned upbeat on hearing the high court order.
Members of Tamil outfits expressed their joy at the court’s decision.
“The assembly resolution and the court decision gives us renewed hope that innocent lives will not be snuffed out,” activist N.Selvaraj told reporters.
Pro-Tamil outfit members went out in procession around the court demanding the release of the three condemned prisoners.
President Patil had Aug 11 rejected the mercy petitions of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan - all linked to the LTTE and sentenced to death for their involvement in Gandhi’s 1991 assassination.
Rajiv Gandhi, who was prime minister 1984-89, was killed by suicide bomber Dhanu at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near Chennai May 21. Fourteen other people also lost their lives in the blast.
The trio moved the high court Monday, pleading commutation of their death sentence.
- Rajiv killers' pleas adjourned till Nov 29 - Oct 28, 2011
- Court pleas, threats, protests to save Rajiv's killers (Lead) - Aug 29, 2011
- Rajiv killers' pleas adjourned till Jan 31 - Nov 29, 2011
- Rajiv killers move high court; Karunanidhi backs plea (Night Lead) - Aug 30, 2011
- Release Rajiv Gandhi killers, appeals Karunanidhi - Oct 06, 2011
- No comment on stay of Rajiv killers' hanging: Congress - Aug 31, 2011
- Rajiv Gandhi killers move court for stay of hanging - Aug 29, 2011
- Supreme Court to hear Rajiv killers' plea Oct 19 - Oct 11, 2011
- Hanging of Rajiv killers stayed, Tamil Nadu assembly backs them - Aug 30, 2011
- Assembly resolution on Rajiv killers not binding: Khurshid - Aug 30, 2011
- Respect the law: Congress on Rajiv killers - Aug 30, 2011
- President rejects mercy petition of Gandhi killers - Aug 11, 2011
- Woman torches herself to save Rajiv killers - Aug 28, 2011
- Rajiv Gandhi assassination: three to hang Sep 9 (Lead) - Aug 26, 2011
- Can't commute death sentences of Rajiv killers: Jayalalithaa - Aug 29, 2011
Tags: alias, assembly resolution, convicts, death sentence, death sentences, former prime minister, general secretary, innocent lives, life imprisonment, madras high court, new hope, president pratibha patil, rajiv gandhi, rajiv killers, ram jethmalani, selvaraj, state assembly, three men, tuesday morning, vaiko