Convict in Rajiv murder case seeks remission

The Tamil Nadu government told the Madras High Court that the state has recommended the release of all seven life convicts of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to the Governor as it lacks the power to order such remission. “The state cabinet has only made a recommendation to the governor. Only the governor has the power to take a decision. The Governor cannot be questioned by the state for not acting on its recommendation," public prosecutor A Natarajan said. The public prosecutor made the submission on a plea by a life convict Nalini Sriharan, seeking to declare her detention as illegal since the Governor had failed to order her release based on the September 9, 2018 recommendation of the state cabinet. When the habeas corpus petition came up for hearing before a division bench, the court directed the public prosecutor to file a reply on whether Nalini's incarceration after the state's recommendation for release would amount to illegal detention.