NEW DEHLI: India's president has rejected mercy pleas from three men convicted of the 1991 assassination of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, paving the way for their execution, an official told AFP on Thursday.
"The rejection (of the clemency petitions) happened last week after the president returned from a foreign tour," presidential spokeswoman Archana Datta told AFP.
The appeal sent to President Pratibha Patil by the three – Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, all known by single names – were their last hope of escaping the hangman's noose.
The condemned men, who belonged to Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militant group, are charged with plotting the May 21, 1991 killing of Gandhi by a female suicide bomber.
The Supreme Court in 1999 confirmed the death sentences of the three men, but commuted the capital punishment to life in prison for Nalini Sriharan, an Indian Tamil woman who was also convicted.
The three men sought a presidential pardon after the top court's verdict.
A woman with explosives strapped to her body blew herself up, killing Gandhi instantly while he was on an election tour in the southern Indian town of Sriperumbudur.
His shredded clothes and the shoes he was wearing at the time are on display in a museum in the Indian capital.
The LTTE, wiped out by Sri Lankan forces in 2009 following a bloody offensive by government troops on the island, always denied its hand in Gandhi's assassination.
But the militant group's now-slain leader Velupillai Prabhakaran went on to honour the assassin's father as a "great person who contributed to the Tamil cause."
Gandhi's killing was seen in India as retaliation for a 1987 Indian government pact with the Sri Lankan government to disarm the guerrillas, who had been trained and armed by New Delhi in the early 1980s.
After that pact, the LTTE fought Indian troops deployed to the island by Rajiv Gandhi's government to supervise the accord. India withdrew its troops after 32 months in which it lost at least 1,200 soldiers at the hands of the rebels.
Rajiv's mother, former premier Indira Gandhi, was also assassinated in October 1984. One of the surviving killers was hanged.
The last execution in India was in 2004 when a 41-year-old former security guard was hanged for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
In May this year, however, President Patil unexpectedly rejected a mercy petition from a murderer in the northeastern state of Assam, leaving the state scrabbling to find a hangman.
Many of the small number of known hangmen nationwide have either died or retired in recent years.
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Dr. Saleem Siddiqi:
Vow – you have put nail in the Coffin – keep it up brother. No body and suppress any nation by brute force. Victory will be yours one day – our Pakistanis prayers are fully with you.
How creepy you can be. First you thought it is some ting to do with sikhs Then probably you are the under the impression it is the Tamils of India. Aren't you? Tamilian is talking about the movement in Sri Lanka. The different ethnic groups in India are subscribed for a united strong India inspite of the linguistic and cultural difference which is unity in diversity. Economically Tamilnadu is among the front runners striving a better future for the whole nation. As far as Tamils of Sri Lanka is concerned I tend to agree with G Din. Having said that we have to agree that the atrocities committed on the Tamils are extra ordinary. But LTTE missed a good opportunity for a settlement when they were strongest. For the present state of the Tamils of Lanka Probaharan has to take a large percentage of the blame. His blunders including extermination of all the other Tamil players, killing of RG which eliminated Indian Tamils sympathy etc. And for the person who is calling himself doctor, save your prayers for the groups like Balochis, Sindhis etc.
@Tamilian: Vow - you have put nail in the Coffin - keep it up brother. No body and suppress any nation by brute force. Victory will be yours one day - our Pakistanis prayers are fully with you.
Regards
Dr. Saleem Siddiqi Johannesburg - South Africa
@Tamilian: "But we should support Tamils and their cause which is not done properly." By this logic any minority that "defines the cause" should automatically expect its sympathizers to be ready to fight for it alongside it while allowing no input from those sympathizers. India has not accepted this hypotheses in case of Kashmiri Muslims (part of a minority of India) and it does not accept it for Sri Lankan Tamils. Its stand has been consistent in both cases. The minorities wherever they may be must negotiate for their rights and aspirations within the confines of the constitutions they (willingly or unwillingly) live. India, having a sizeable Tamil population of its own and therefore a legitimate interest in the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils. is talking to Sri Lankan government to allow such aspirations and rights for its Tamil population. If Sri Lankan Tamils (or Kashmiri Muslims) absolutely cannot live under that constitution, the course open to them is to immigrate. No state is worth its salt if it bends to threats of violence.
@AnIndian:
@Vicram Singh:
For your information I am an Indian from Chennai, Nelson Manickam street, Choolaimedu.
First you clarify my comments I raised in this forum. Then ask my identity. (Very difficult for you). Don't think I am unpatriotic, I am also equally or more patriotic than you (This case is exception). May be you look at me unpatriotic in this case.
I am supporting Sri Lankan Tamils and their cause. Is any thing wrong in that? I am sorry to say many of us Indians are not understanding the sentiments of Tamilians.
See the support given by our Pakistani Brothers for Kashmiris (I don't like terrorism activity. But see the moral support given by whole Pakistan for Kashmir issue). But why this support does not happens in case of Sri Lankan Tamils?
I am not saying that India should support banned outfits. But we should support Tamils and their cause which is not done properly.
வாழ்க தமிழ் !! வளர்க தமிழ் !!
This foreigner posing as a Tamilian tried his best to create rifts, but couldn't avoid the Faux Pas at the end...
For your information: I lived in Chennai for 20 years & so don't bluff...
@Tamilian: Go to Indian court and defend their case. Commenting here does not save them from punishmment. Ok.
@Tamilian: " ... Shame on your part !!!! ... "
Are you Indian ?
My Dear Indian Brothers,
The mentioned 3 are not killers and it is conspiracy theory that they planned for murder of Ex-Indian PM.
The murderer is a Suicide bomber and she died on the spot.
Planner is Velupillai Prabhakaran who was killed in fighting.
Still India want to hang these 3 to please some one that they are taking action. These innocent freedom fighters have spent most of their life in Jail, which is more than punishment. They should be released immediately.
Shame on your part !!!!
Vazhga Tamil... Vazharga Tamil...
what about afzal guru?why dont u reject his plea at a time with of ltte members?or are you going to obey the stupid intellectual and j&k interlocular dilip moron padgaonkar and of course mr.geelani.
Public Law and its application is as much for the surviving peaceful citizens & the victims as much for the criminals. Not all punishments are a suitable revenge for the victims relatives. Instead the punishment relieves the masses who abide by the law all the times. It proves order in a state. It warns prospective future criminal minds. It bring a painful episode to an end and people to get on with their life.
The Only Pardon a criminal should get is from God after he sacrifice himself by way of the carrying-in of the human law on him for the crimes he committed and has now something to show after he dies, when he meets his creator. After all he never showed mercy when he had the chance also proves the method and favorite fate he was expecting for himself too.
@Dr. Saleem Siddiqi: " ... Rejecting mercy appeal is unwelcomed and inhuman as it looks to ignite tension in Indian Sikh community. ... "
Einstein, how so ?
You should worry more about the repercussions of another round of martial law.
@ Dr. Saleem Siddiqi:
Though your serious intellectual deficiency is a personal matter; I chose to comment on it because has become a social issue.
LTTE has nothing to do with the Sikh community.
An example of a Sikh would be the current PM of India, Manmohan Singh.
And just to enlighten you: if he lived in Pakistan he would be ineligible to become the PM, President or the Chief Justice, for committing the crime of being born as a Sikh.
Justice should be served!
Mr Saleem Siddiqi from Johannesburg, you have been caught offguard, be careful while pushing your divisive agenda next time.
@Dr. Saleem Siddiqi: It's our internal problem. They are all tamil not sikh. read article carefully. Just speed up all mercy petitions, I hope we can save lot's of money on kasab.
@Dr. Saleem Siddiqi:
I thought Terrorists dont have Religion. Suddenly they are fighting for the Sikh cause now? With a Sikh PM what cause is left?
Rejecting mercy appeal is unwelcomed and inhuman as it looks to ignite tension in Indian Sikh community. There is always way to pardon a person with a big crime so that he may repent rest of the life in the jail. If you will kill him, how would he.
Well this is an internal matter of India let them tackle but since this was a social issue, I made comment no interference meant.
Regards
Dr. Saleem Siddiqi Johannesburg - South Africa
Suddenly so many mercy petitions have been rejected. That's good.