Chennai: The RTI reply that has been acquired by one of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Perarivalan, has brought to light that it was the Maharashtra government that discharged Sanjay Dutt early from prison.
Citing this Right to Information Act reply, Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal has raised the question as to why the Tamilnadu government was not releasing her son and six other convicts from prison as they have served jail term for more than 20 years.
She was wondering aloud as to what was stopping the State government from releasing her son and the other convicts now that there is a precedent.
Arputhammal has been moving heaven and earth for the release of her son from prison for the past several years, claiming he was accidentally involved in the assassination and that he was innocent.
MINISTER JAYAKUMAR REACTS
Fisheries Minister Jayakumar, who acts as the spokesperson of the Tamilnadu government, today said the State government was committed to releasing the seven convicts from prison. But procedure-wise, it was the Governor, in this case Banwarilal Purohit, who has to take the decision.
He was answering a question from a reporter during the media interaction at the mausoleum of freedom fighter Quaid-e-Millath in Triplicane where his birth anniversary is being celebrated today.