Nalini Sriharan, Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict, gets 3-week parole extension

The Madras High Court had earlier extended Nalini Sriharan's existing one month parole for 3 weeks.

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday granted a three-week extension to Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Nalini Sriharan, who is currently out on parole. The high court had earlier extended her existing one month parole for 3 weeks.

Nalini had recently approached the Madras High Court seeking extension in her existing parole. In response to her plea, the High Court had directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its reply in this regard.

Seeking the government's response, a bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and M Nirmal Kumar then posted Nalini's petition for further hearing on Thursday. 

In her petition, Nalini said that she had moved the court as the deputy inspector general of prisons, in a letter last Tuesday, rejected her representation for extension of the leave for another 30 days, starting from Sunday.

She said that despite her "sincere efforts", she was not able to complete the arrangements for the marriage of her daughter within the leave period.

It may be recalled that the high court had last month granted her 30 days ordinary leave for making arrangements for her daughter's marriage.

She was subsequently released from the Vellore Central Prison on July 25 and since then Nalini has been residing at Sathuvachari.

Lodged in prison for over 27 years, Nalini had originally sought a six-month leave to make arrangements for her daughter's marriage.

Nalini and six other people are serving life imprisonment in the case related to the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by a suicide bomber at an election rally in Sriperumbudur area of Kanchipuram district in the state on May 21, 1991.