On Monday, Supreme Court issued notice to the government of Tamil Nadu on pleas separately filed by Nalini and RV Ravichandran before the apex court seeking premature release in Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case.

The bench comprised of Justice BR Gavai and Justice BR Nagarathna asks Tamil Nadu government responses on the two separate pleas filed before the apex court after the Madras High court on June 17 dismissed their prayer for premature release.

During the hearing the Madras High court raised the order of the apex court passed on May 18 in which apex court exercised its special power provided under article 142 of constitution for directing premature release of AG Perarivalan.

The High court mentioned by dismissing plea of convicts that the high court doesn’t have power like that of the Supreme court under Article 142 to grant the relief of premature relief to convicts of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case for this Governor’s assent is necessary.

In 2018 the Tamilnadu government proposed for the premature release of the seven convicts convicted in Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case and referred the matter to Governor for his assent but this is still pending before him. Recently the Governor by referring to the proposal of release of convicts said that “the President is the proper authority for dealing with this matter”.

The two convicts Nalini and Ravichandran urged before the Madras High court that the court should grant them pre mature release without waiting for the assent from Government.