Rajiv case convict moves apex court for early release

After the sensational Nalini-Priyanka Gandhi meeting raised hopes for the early release of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict, another convict, P R Ravichandran, on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking remission of his life term on the ground that he has already undergone more than 14 years of jail term, a cond i t i o n mandatory for lifers to seek parole. Lodged in the central prison at Vellore after the apex court confirmed his conviction and sentenced him to life imprisonment, Ravichandran has since completed his masters in history from the prison and argued that he could now assimilate with the society and that his mother was willing to stand surety for his future good conduct after release from prison on remission. He said the apex court and the National Human Rights Commission had said in several cases that a murder convict sentenced to life imprisonment could be considered for remission of his sentence after completion of 14 years in jail. Pleading that there should be no discrimination against him just because he was convicted in the Rajiv assassination case, Ravichandran in his petition filed through counsel V Ramasubramanian said his representation for remission of sentence was rejected by the Prison Advisory Board only because he was convicted in the assassination of a former Prime Minister. The petitioner said he had no past criminal history and that he cannot be denied the relief permitted under law just because the case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and not by the state police. He argued that several life convicts had been released by the Karunanidhi government on several occasions by granting them remission of sentence and that his good conduct in the prison should also entitle him to similar relief.

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