Rajiv Gandhi's killers can't be released: Centre Tells Supreme Court
New Delhi, Aug 10 : The Supreme Court was on Friday informed by the Centre that the convicts of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case cannot be released, holding that setting them free will set a "dangerous precedent".
The Tamil Nadu government's proposal to release the convicts is not acceptable to the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi. "Releasing the killers of a former Prime Minister will set a very dangerous precedent.
"The case has been decided by various forum of judiciary and executive and the prisoners do not deserve to be set free," said the Centre in its report.
Placing before the bench the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs, taken on April 18, Anand said the Centre has taken a decision not to release the seven convicts on the state government's proposal.
It said that the Central Bureau of Investigation has opposed the Tamil Nadu government's proposal to release the convicts in the "interest of justice".
"The case has been reviewed, scrutinised by various forums of judiciary and executive and both the highest judicial and executive forum have evaluated the case and decided the matter.
"Releasing the four foreign nationals who had committed the gruesome murder of the former Prime Minister of this country along with 15 others, most of who were police officers, in connivance with three Indian nationals will set a dangerous precedent and lead to international ramifications by other such criminals in the future," the Centre's document stated.
"The Centre, in pursuance of Section 435 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) does not concur to the proposal of Tamil Nadu government for grant of further remission of sentence to the seven convicts," said the union government.
The Centre filed the report in compliance of the top court order directing it to take a call on the Tamil Nadu government's proposal within three months.
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Delhi records high of 32.7 deg C; AQI remains 'moderate'
New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
