Steps taken to deport Lankan convicts in Rajiv case: Centre in HC

The Sri Lankan convicts have been lodged in the foreigners’ detention camp in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy until their deportation

Chennai: The Union government has informed the Madras high court that it has taken steps to deport all the four Sri Lankans, convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to Sri Lanka.

The Centre informed the Madras high court that it has been communicated to the minister of external affairs to issue travel documents to the four Sri Lankan convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, who were released by the Supreme Court. (HT Archives)

Four of the 6 convicts in the case, who were released by the Supreme Court last November are Sri Lankan nationals.

Since all the four Sri Lankan nationals –Santan, Sriharan alias Murugan, Jayakumar and Rober Payas -- “arrived in India illegally by boat and do not possess valid Sri Lankan travel documents, passport…,” the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Chennai said in his affidavit that they have been lodged in the foreigners detention camp in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy until their deportation.

It has been communicated to the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) to issue travel documents to the four Sri Lankans, the department submitted to the single bench of justice N Seshasayee on Thursday. The submissions were made based on the plea of one of the released convict’s S Nalini, seeking for her husband and fellow convict Sriharan alias Murugan to be released from the camp so they can apply for a passport to live with their daughter in Europe.

“Since the communication from MEA (Consular division) is awaited, her representation was kept pending at our end,” stated the government’s affidavit.