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Rajiv assassin's mother Starts campaign for son's release

The mother of Murugan, one of the convicts of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, who is presently serving a life imprisonment, launched a public campaign from her native Kilinochchi last week, urging the release of her son from the Vellore prison in Tamil Nadu.


Convict Murugan's mother Somini Vettivel has launched the campaign with the intention of obtaining more than one million signatures in support of her campaign, seeking the release of her son Murugan, who is presently serving his life imprisonment with six other convicts. Murugan's wife Nalini is also imprisoned in a separate prison in Tamil Nadu for her supportive role in the assassination. The daughter of Murugan and Nalini, their only child is presently domiciled in the UK supported by their relatives.

According to Murugan's mother Somini, who lives in Kilinochchi, armed with the mass support of her signature campaign, she would plead with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the early release of her son.
Murugan's mother also added that there are instances, where world leaders had pardoned convicts of grave crimes and hence she expected her son to be given clemency.

The LTTE assassinated Rajiv Gandhi on the 21 May 1991 in Sriperumbudur when the former Prime Minister was on a campaign trail.

Dampening hopes of release for the killers of Rajiv Gandhi, India's Supreme Court in the month of December, 2015, had ruled that the Centre has primacy over States as well as the right to grant remission and referred the issue of clemency for the assassins, to a three-Judge Bench.
Meanwhile, convict Murugan is now leading a spiritual life behind bars, becoming vegetarian and engaged in meditations. In a recent interview he said that he would remain as a spiritualist even if he was pardoned and released from the prison. (PA)