Rajiv Gandhi assassination accused Nalini’s lawyer said on Saturday that after receiving the rejection order of the mercy pleas of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan from the President’s office they would approach either the Supreme Court or high court to reduce the death sentence to life imprisonment.
“We are waiting for the orders from the President’s office. After obtaining it, we will look into the possibilities and approach the judiciary to reduce the death sentence to life imprisonment,” said lawyer P. Pugalenthi after meeting the trio at the Vellore central prison for men.
He cited the case of Daya Singh, whose death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment following the direction of the Supreme Court in 1991.
Daya Singh’s mercy plea was rejected by the President of India and the Central government two years after he pleaded for clemency.
Pointing to the delay in the President responding to the petitioner, the Supreme Court directed the Central government to convert the death sentence into life imprisonment, he said, adding that in the case of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, the mercy pleas were rejected after 11 years - they had sent their plea in April 2000.