CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has reserved its orders on a habeas corpus plea filed by S Nalini, life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. On Thursday, the Centre informed the court that it had conveyed to the Tamil Nadu Governor its ‘disinclination’ in releasing those convicted in the case.
A division bench reserved orders after hearing the detailed submissions made by State Public Prosecutor A Natarajan and Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan. Nalini’s counsel, M Radhakrishnan, argued that the State Council of Ministers had advised the Governor to release the petitioner under Article 161, as early as on September 9, 2018. The petitioner ought to have been released on September 10, 2018 itself by the State. Referring to the resolution passed by the Council of Ministers, Rajagopalan said it was sent to the Governor and ‘only the Governor should be passing it as an order’.