DMK govt responsible for released Rajiv assassination convict's death: AIADMK

Chennai, March 2: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday held the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu responsible for the death of T. Suthenthiarajah alias Santhan, who was convicted for the 1991 assassination of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Santhan, who was one among the six convicts released after serving more than three decades in prison, died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai on February 28 due to a cardiac arrest. He was released from jail in November 2022.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Palaniswami claimed that Santhan, who was a Sri Lankan Tamil, could not be with his family during his last days as the DMK government did not “obtain the necessary clearances” from the Union government.

He also demanded the state government to take the responsibility for the death of the released convict.

The AIADMK General Secretary, who is also a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, said that at least in respect of the other three Sri Lankan Tamils who were released from prison in the same case (Murugan alias Sriharan, Robert Payas and S. Jayakumar), the External Affairs Ministry and the state government should take steps to release them from the special camp at Tiruchi where they have been lodged, and send them to the countries of their choice.

It may be recalled that Sriharan's request to process his passport is pending, while two other released convicts, Robert Payas and Jeyakumar, have sought to live with their families in The Netherlands and Chennai, respectively.