Spare no mercy for Rajiv Gandhi killers, the Centre told a Constitution bench of Supreme Court on Tuesday as it began to hear a crucial appeal of the Centre challenging the State Government's power to grant remission in cases investigated by CBI.
The assertion by the Government made by Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar assumed significance after the three convicts — AG Perarivalan alias Arivu, Sriharan alias Murugan, and T Suthentiraraja alias Santhan - whose death sentence was commuted to life by SC in February last year, sought to belittle their crime claiming that the incident involved the murder of a man who reneged on his promise to lTTE.
Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani appeared for the convicts and argued that the case was fit to be remitted by state government as it involved the killing of a man who did not keep his word. Opposing this stand, Solicitor General told Court that a former Prime Minister of the country was killed in a murderous assault by foreigners in conspiracy with few Indian nationals. It was a clear case of terror attack on the country and despite it, the Courts have spared mercy by sparing them gallows.
The five-judge Bench headed by CJI Hl Dattu agreed with Centre that the issue raised in the appeal dealt with a substantial question of law and required consideration by it. The Court had stayed the remission order of the Tamil Nadu Government till the question raised in the petition was settled.