President Pratibha Patil has rejected the mercy petitions of three members of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) convicted in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.
A Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said the president turned down the clemency pleas “last week”. The decision was conveyed to the Ministry of Home Affairs. “The president has rejected the mercy petitions of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, the three persons convicted for the murder of Rajiv Gandhi,” said spokesperson Archana Dutta. As of May 31, the president has disposed of 11 mercy petitions, while 17 are under active consideration, she said.
In 2000, the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence for the trio — Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthentharajan alias Santhan and A G Perarivelan alias Arivu — convicted of criminal conspiracy and execution of the suicide attack plot. On June 21, 2005, the MHA sent its recommendation to the president. It was called back for a review on February 23, 2011, and was re-submitted to the president on March 8. - Indian Express