VELLORE: A life convict at the high-risk prisoners’ block in the Vellore Central Prison attacked A G Perarivalan (45), one of the lifers in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, on Tuesday. Perarivalan sustained grievous injuries to his head, hands and knees and was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Adukkumbarai.
According to sources, around 7 am, Perarivalan was on his constitutional on the jail premises when Rajesh Kanna (46) attacked him with an iron rod. Rajesh, a native of Madurai, is serving life term after conviction in murder and extortion cases registered in Madurai and Chennai.
Officials suspect that the attack was a fallout of past enmity, as the two had a history of quarrels. Rajesh was housed in the high-risk prisoners block, where three life convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case — Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan; three in Dhamapuri bus burning case —Nedunchezhian, Ravindran and Muniappan; and one lifer, are lodged.
The prison administration recently shifted Rajesh from the high-security block to another cell. Suspecting that he was shifted at the insistence of Perarivalan, Kanna entered into verbal duel with the latter on Tuesday morning and in a fit of rage assaulted him, added sources.
DIG prisons, Vellore, Mohammed Haneefa and Superintendent of Vellore Central prison, G Shanmugasundaram, conducted an inquiry. However, neither was available for comment.
A team of doctors headed by Joint Director of Health Services, Vellore, A Manimegalai checked on Perarivalan’s condition. Later, Manimegalai told reporters that Perarivalan’s condition was stable and the required medical support was given to him. Perarivalan received six stitches to his head. The Bagayam police registered a case and were investigating.
Meanwhile, Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal, who is on a crusade to secure her son’s freedom, appealed to the Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, to allow him to spend the rest of his life with his family. Perarivalan’s family — mother Arputhammal, father Kuyildasan, sister Anbumani and brother-in-law Raja — called on him at the Central Prison after the attack on Tuesday.