CHENNAI: Nalini Sriharan, an accused in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has neither given a valid proof of her daughter’s visit to India and her proposed wedding, to consider her plea for six months ‘ordinary leave’, the State government said in its counter-affidavit filed in the HC on Thursday.
The counter was filed by the Joint Secretary, Home department, in response to a petition from Nalini, praying for a directive to the special prison for women at Vellore, where she is serving life term, to grant her six months leave for arranging and attending the wedding of her daughter.
Opposing grant of any relief, the counter said it was not known whether her daughter is living in India or proposing to visit the country. There was also no proof in support of the marriage claim. No material is furnished to verify the genuineness of her request. It manifests that she wants to get ordinary leave under the pretext of making wedding arrangements for her daughter, the counter said.
In her petition, Nalini had stated that her daughter Haritha lived in London with her grandparents and that she was not an Indian citizen. When the fact being so, Nalini had not given any valid proof like copy of her daughter’s travel document in support of her request for parole, the counter added.
The probation officer, to whom the request was referred, had made enquiries and filed a report to the government stating that the release of the prisoner is likely to breach peace in the locality. Based on his findings, the officer has also recommended against her request. The High Court, on earlier occasions had rejected her plea for premature release through a scheme introduced by the State for life convicts who were in jail for 20 years, the counter pointed out.
In her petition Nalini, who had completed 26 years in prison, claimed that as a life convict, she was entitled to one month’s leave, once in two years of imprisonment. So far, she had not availed herself of any such leave. Since she had to make arrangements for the wedding of her daughter, she needed the long leave. She had already sent a representation in this regard to the CM on November 12, 2016.
No premature release
The High Court, on earlier occasions had rejected her plea for premature release through a scheme introduced by the State for life convicts who were in jail for 20 years