CHENNAI: Considering the long pendency of the matter, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the authorities concerned to file their counters on a habeas corpus petition from Robert Pyas, one of the convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and posted it for hearing on August 16.
Originally, Robert and Jayakumar, another accused in the case, filed the petition in 2012 seeking their premature release on account of the Republic Day celebrations. When the matter came up on January 23 this year, a division bench of Justices M Jeyachandran and T Mathivanan (both retired) had directed the Additional Public Prosecutor to find out whether the names of the duo find a place in the list of convicts to be released prematurely on account of the Republic Day celebrations.
After six months’ delay, the matter came up before the division bench comprising Justices A Selvam and P Kalaiyarasan, on Wednesday. And after considering the enormous pendency, the judges gave the direction.