Was not aware of plot to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi: Nalini

Chennai: S Nalini, who was a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has said that she was not aware of the bid to assassinate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

She was speaking to media persons on Sunday. The Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict was released from Vellore central prison in Tamil Nadu on Saturday after the Supreme Court ordered the release of all six convicts in the assassination case.

Nalini said she would like to meet the family of the late prime minister and added she was reluctant to meet them even though she did not have any idea that Rajiv Gandhi was being killed. She said that she was really sad about his killing.

She told the reporters that she wanted to lead a normal life after this and when asked whether she would be settling in Chennai or with her daughter in London, she said that she was yet to decide on this.

It may be noted that Nalini, her husband Murugan alias Sri Haran, Shanthan, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran were released from Vellore, Puzhal and Madurai prisons after the Supreme Court verdict.

The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the release of another convict, A G Perarivalan from prison in May 2022 after a prolonged legal battle carried out by his mother.

The court had then considered his 30-year-long incarceration in the case. The Supreme Court had while releasing Nalini and other five convicts, stated that the justice meted out to Perarivalan must be given to other convicts and all six were released from prison on Saturday itself.

The four Sri Lankans – Shanthan, Murugan, Robert Payas, and Jayakumar – are lodged in the Tiruchi rehabilitation centre for Sri Lankan refugees after their release from prison.