Bomb-Making Conspiracy in Rajiv Assassination Case Under SC Radar
The apex court had in 2014 stayed the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release the convicts.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to inform it about the investigation on the conspiracy angle behind making of the bomb that had killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
The apex court asked the government about the probe being carried out on this aspect, after one of the convicts in the assassination case claimed that this issue has not been properly probed.
"What is the result of the re-investigation or further investigation on this aspect? Kindly address us on this. We want only this," a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.
The SC also asked the CBI about the result of the multi discipline monitoring agency's probe into larger conspiracy behind Rajiv assassination. The Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Committee was set up in 1999 after the Jain Commission gave report on conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi assassination.
The apex court fixed the matter for further hearing next week.
The apex court had in 2014 stayed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release the convicts and had set up a five-judge Constitution Bench to deal with the issue relating to the power of states and the Centre to grant the benefit of remission and pardon to convicts.
Earlier on 10 August, a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi considered the submission of Prabu Ramasubramaniam, the counsel for convict AG Perarivalan, that the case be heard as the convicts are in jail for the last two decades.
The lawyer said the matter had been listed quite a few times in the past, but it got deleted from the list.
The apex court had held that the state government cannot unilaterally determine remission of sentences in cases where the probe had been conducted by central government agencies.
The Constitution Bench, however, had said the issue – whether convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case can be granted remission or not – would be handled by a three-judge bench.
"The bench has been set up, but no hearing has taken place so far," the lawyer said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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