The Madras High Court on Tuesday suo motu included the Union Home Ministry as one of the respondents to a habeas corpus petition filed by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict S. Nalini to declare her detention since September 2018 as illegal because it was when the State cabinet had made a recommendation to the Governor to release all seven convicts involved in the case.
Justices R. Subbiah and R. Pongiappan impleaded the Centre too as a party to the petition after Additional Solicitor General G. Rajagopalan informed the court that the Home Ministry had in April 2018 rejected a proposal to release the seven convicts. The petitioner’s counsel M. Radhakrishnan took objection to it and stated the convict was now seeking the benefit of a recommendation made by the State cabinet in September 2018.
After hearing both sides, the judges directed the ASG to take notice on behalf of the Centre and obtain necessary instructions by January 28.
