CHENNAI: Taking exception to the enrolment of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict AG Perarivalan as a lawyer with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Congress MP R Sudha has sent a representation to President Droupadi Murmu seeking to revoke the decision.
The Lok Sabha member representing Mayiladuthurai said that Perarivalan’s release in May 2022 was merely on the ground of inordinate and unexplained delay in deciding his pending mercy petitions. He was once found guilty by the Supreme Court, which also had rejected the connected review pleas, the MP said.
According to Section 24A of the Advocates Act, 1961, a convicted person shall not be enrolled for a period of two years since his release but in the case of Perarivalan, he was released in May 2022 and joined a law course and completed it. Now he is enrolled by the Bar Council, she said in a representation.
Allowing Perarivalan to have access to the state and societal resources will be disastrous as well as demoralising for the youngsters entering the legal profession. It is also a rude shock to the families of those who were killed along with the former prime minister. The Bar Council must hence revoke Perarivalan’s enrolment immediately, the MP added.
Meanwhile, Advocate K Balu, who is chairman of the enrolment committee, said that there is no legal bar on Perarivalan enrolling as a lawyer.
Convicts can be enrolled as a lawyer too after being released as per Section 24A of the Advocates Act, he added.