In a huge setback to the Jayalalithaa government, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday ruled that all the seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will remain behind bars. In February 2014, Jayalalithaa ordered the release of all the seven convicts in the case.
A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice H L Dattu said that the Tamil Nadu government cannot unilaterally decide on remitting their jail term and that the power of remission to the convicts falls under the authority of the central government and not the state government since the case was investigated by CBI and not state police.
On 18th February 2014, Jayalalithaa ordered the release of all the seven convicts just a day after the Supreme Court commuted death sentence into life term for three convicts Santhan, Murugan and Periarivalan, owing to centre’s delay in decision making regarding their mercy petitions.