Rajiv Gandhi assassination: SC seeks report from CBI over insufficient probe

A bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi was hearing the petition filed by one of the convicts, Perarivalan, who stated that there was a ‘larger conspiracy’ surrounding the death of Rajv Gandhi which should be probed thoroughly by the CBI.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after one of the convicts alleged that the probe agency did not investigate into the ‘larger conspiracy’ to kill late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

A view of the Supreme Court building in New Delhi. (REUTERS)

The apex court has fixed August 16 as the next date for further hearing in the matter.

Convict AG Perarivalan has alleged that the CBI didn’t probe into the ‘larger conspiracy’ surrounding the death of Gandhi.

A bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi was hearing the petition filed by one of the convicts, Perarivalan, who stated that there was a ‘larger conspiracy’ which should be probed thoroughly by the CBI.

Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber at nearby Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991 and seven persons - Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Nalini, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran, were convicted in the case.

Nalini’s death sentence was commuted to life in 2000 following a cabinet recommendation and an appeal by Rajiv’s wife, Sonia Gandhi.

The Supreme Court had commuted the death sentence of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan in February 2014 following delay in deciding on their mercy plea.

The Tamil Nadu government had in March this year decided to remit the sentences of all the seven convicts.

However, the matter soon went to the Supreme Court and is pending there, with the Central government questioning the State’s powers to grant remission to them on specific grounds.

The seven convicts are V Sriharan alias Murugan, AG Perarivalan, T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini.