Raj Bhavan, the top office of the State, is caught in a string of controversies lately and the latest is in connection with the Governor’s nod for the premature release of three AIADMK men convicted in the killing of three women students in 2000. Responding quickly to the issue, Raj Bhavan clarified that Governor Banwarilal Purohit took the decision after turning down the government’s proposal (to release them) thrice and only after he was satisfied that they would be ‘absorbed’ by society without any disturbance. The decision was also taken based on grounds that the Supreme Court had observed that the deaths took place in a state of mob frenzy, and considering the fact that the convicts had been in prison for 13 years.
Nedunchezhian, Ravindran and Muniappan had resorted to violence after a Special Court in Chennai sentenced former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to one-year imprisonment in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotel case on 2 February, 2000. The three men set ablaze a bus, which led to three girl students burning to death. The convicts were originally awarded the death penalty by the trial court which was later upheld by the Supreme Court, but on a review petition, their sentence was commuted to life imprisonment two years ago.
What they did was an unpardonable and unacceptable crime in a civilised society. If they could be released citing rules, the same is applicable to the seven convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case also. The seven have already spent nearly three decades in jail and a proposal for their release, too, has been sent to the Governor by the State government. As being advocated by many, including human rights activists, they should be freed on humanitarian grounds since they had spent a major part of their life in jail.