Mercy for Rajiv Gandhi's assassins: Tamil politics a challenge to fair hearing?

The Supreme Court has ruled that it will hear the petitions of three men who are challenging the death sentence given to them for their role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The Madras High court had stayed their execution in August last year on their plea that the President had taken too long to decide on their mercy petition. The petition in court today argued that a fair hearing was not possible in Tamil Nadu given the surcharged atmosphere.