Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: 3 ex-convicts return to Sri Lanka

3 April 2024 07:45 pm Views - 1590

Colombo, April 3 (PTI) - Three Sri Lankan nationals, who were ex-convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case returned to their native country on Wednesday after serving their jail term.

Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber of the banned LTTE nearby Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.

The three ex-convicts in the case who returned back to Sri Lanka included Murugan alias Sriharan, Jayakumar and Robert Payas. They left for their native country by a Sri Lankan carrier, PTI reported.

The three Sri Lankans were among the seven convicts in the case freed by the Supreme Court in November 2022.

Following their release, they were lodged in a special camp in Tiruchirappalli. They arrived in Chennai last night and left for Colombo today.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had informed the Madras High Court they could travel back home once the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) issued a deportation order.

The Sri Lankan High Commission had earlier issued them travel documents to return home.

One Sri Lankan national convicted in the case, Santhan, had died here recently. The others who had been convicted and freed in the case includes Perarivalan, Ravichandran and Nalini, all Indians. All seven had served over 30 years in prison.