Tamil Nadu govt urged to help Rajiv assassins lead a peaceful life after their release

B Sivakumar,TNN | Feb 19, 2014,
CHENNAI: Pro-Tamil parties on Wednesday welcomed Tamil Nadu government’s move to release all seven accused in the Rajiv Gandhiassassination case.

In separate statements, MDMK chief Vaiko andPMK chief S Ramadoss hailed chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s announcement that the cabinet had decided to release all the seven people. They said Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan, Nalini, Robert Pyas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran were falsely accused in the case.

"The decision of the Tamil Nadu government has been taken on humanitarian grounds and I thank the chief minister for that. The media has also been supporting abolition of death penalty and I thank them for their support," said Vaiko.

Taking credit for chief minister’ decision, Ramadoss said: “I had insisted that the Tamil Nadu government should release all the seven people and today’s decision of the chief minister gives me satisfaction. I hope they will be free from prison in a few days.”

The government should provide all necessary help for the released persons to pursue a peaceful life as per their wish, Ramadoss said.

He demanded the government release Mathaiyan, elder brother of forest brigand Veerappan, from the Coimbatore prison. “Mathaiyan has been in the prison after his arrest by the Karnataka police in 1989. He was not accused in any case and in one case he was given life sentence,” Ramadoss said.

Mathaiyan has served 25 years in prison. He is suffering from various ailments and the government should release him on the basis of his health grounds, Ramadoss said.

Meanwhile, thanking the state government for its decision to release the seven convicts, Ulaka Tamil Peravai (World Tamil Confederation) president P Nedumaran said, “The state government should help them resettle in life after their release.”