Nalini wife of Murugan, a Sri Lankan national, was convicted for being part of the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.
The sinister act was caried out in 1991 during the campaign trail ahead of the parliamentary elections. She and some of the other now-deceased accused met at a bus stand in Chennai, and went to the venue in Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram on the evening of May 21, 1991.
At the venue, Nalini reportedly 'provided cover' to the suicide bomber Dhanu before she gained access to Rajiv Gandhi to detonate an explosive concealed in her waist belt. Nalini was charged on 121 different counts, and convicted in 1998.
Interestingly, during 1999 conviction verdict the majority of the three-judge bench had said that Nalini deserved capital punishment, Justice K T Thomas had dissented saying Nalini was only an 'obedient participant' in the episode who had realised that Dhanu would kill Rajiv Gandhi "only at Sriperumbudur".
A graduate in English, and pregnant when she was arrested – elements that added to one of India’s most compelling narratives for much of the 1990s – Sriharan completed her MBA in prison, and seven diploma courses from Indira Gandhi National Open University, her counsel P Pugazhendhi said.
Her daughter, S Harithra, was born in jail, and now lives in London after family members took her to Europe. “Nalini and her husband will try to go to London to be with their daughter,” said Pugazhendhi.
** According to the CBI, Santhan -- accused No. 2, came to Tamil Nadu with Sivarasan in April 1991. The chargesheet described him as a member of the LTTE’s intelligence wing who was close to Sivarasan.
In February 1988, Sivarasan suggested that Santhan continue his studies in Madras (Chennai), and in February 1990, he secured admission at Madras Institute of Engineering Technology, where his expenses were met by the LTTE. Santhan was charged for his close association with Sivarasan in the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv.
“I think he never responded to letters from his relatives in Sri Lanka, he might have severed all his ties with relatives,” said Perarivalan, who was released by Supreme Court in May 2022.
Murugan was accused No. 3 ... Nalini fell in love with Murugan amid her problems with her parents.
A Sri Lankan national and “hard-core LTTE activist”, Murugan was a member of the suicide squad from January 1991, as per the prosecution. He was sent to India by LTTE leader Pottu Amman and directed to draw sketches and take photographs and videos of key locations.
He had befriended Nalini’s brother Bhagyanathan, and subsequently Nalini and her mother Padma.
Murugan knew about the arrival of Subha and Dhanu through Sivarasan, according to the case.
Supreme Court sets free 'all other' Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts, cites Perarivalan’s release
The ball for their release was set rolling on May 18 after AG Perarivalan, the first of the seven convicts in the case, was released by the Supreme Court on grounds of poor health and good conduct.
A bench of justices BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna on Friday said, “We find that factors which weighed with this court while directing release of Perarivalan are equally applicable to all present applicants.”
The seven convicts – Perarivalan, Nalini Sriharan, Murugan alias Sriharan, Santhan, P Ravichandran, Robert Payas and S Jayakumar – were arrested in 1991. Four of the seven, including Nalini’s husband Sriharan are Sri Lankan nationals.
The Supreme Court on Friday, Nov 11, 2022, set free the remaining six convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, extending to them the benefit of its order releasing their co-convict A G Perarivalan.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna ordered that “the appellants are directed to be set at liberty if not required in any other matter”.
Those who have been allowed premature release are Nalini Sriharan, Santhan alias Raviraj, Murugan, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran alias Ravi.
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