New Delhi:
The three men convicted of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi moved the Supreme Court today seeking commutation of their death sentence.
The three convicts - Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan - are hopeful of a commutation following a recent Supreme Court order that said that death sentences can be commuted if there is an inordinate and undue delay in deciding mercy petitions.
Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, one of the lawyers appearing for the three convicts, alluded to the recent top court order in his argument today. The Centre will argue against the commutation of their death sentence on February 4.
The mercy petitions of the three men were rejected in 2011 by then President Pratibha Patil, which was challenged by them. Although the Supreme Court confirmed their death sentences in 2000, it took the President 11 years to reject their mercy pleas.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a woman suicide bomber on May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
In 1998, a court had sentenced 26 people to death in the case. However, when the case reached the Supreme Court in 2000, capital punishment was confirmed only for four -- Nalini, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan.
Nalini's death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment by the Tamil Nadu Governor in 2000 following a recommendation by the state cabinet and a public appeal by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
The execution of the remaining three convicts, which was scheduled for September 9, 2011, was stayed by Madras High Court. The case has since been with the Supreme Court.