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| All seven convicted of Rajiv Gandhi assassination to be freed | All seven convicted of Rajiv Gandhi assassination to be freed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| All seven people jailed for killing the Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi are to be released, according to reports. | |
| The decision was announced on Wednesday morning, a day after India’s supreme court lifted death | The decision was announced on Wednesday morning, a day after India’s supreme court lifted death |
| sentences from three men convicted in the assassination of Gandhi in 1991. The | sentences from three men convicted in the assassination of Gandhi in 1991. The |
| court commuted the sentences to life and said the government could not indefinitely keep people on death row – it has been 16 years since they were sentenced and three years since they filed mercy | court commuted the sentences to life and said the government could not indefinitely keep people on death row – it has been 16 years since they were sentenced and three years since they filed mercy |
| petitions. | petitions. |
| In | In |
| its judgment the Indian supreme court said the government of | its judgment the Indian supreme court said the government of |
| Tamil Nadu state where the attack occurred could decide whether or not to release | Tamil Nadu state where the attack occurred could decide whether or not to release |
| the three men. | the three men. |
| On Wednesday, the state’s chief minister, J | On Wednesday, the state’s chief minister, J |
| Jayalalitha, reportedly decided at an emergency cabinet meeting in Chennai to | Jayalalitha, reportedly decided at an emergency cabinet meeting in Chennai to |
| release all seven of those convicted of Gandhi’s | release all seven of those convicted of Gandhi’s |
| assassination, four of whom were serving life sentences. | assassination, four of whom were serving life sentences. |
| The decision had been expected, but not so swiftly, and the central government, led by Gandhi’s own Congress | The decision had been expected, but not so swiftly, and the central government, led by Gandhi’s own Congress |
| party – his widow Sonia Gandhi is the party’s president – now has the | party – his widow Sonia Gandhi is the party’s president – now has the |
| opportunity to respond. | opportunity to respond. |
| “The supreme court has rendered the verdict, which | “The supreme court has rendered the verdict, which |
| should be respected,” Kapil Sibal, a Congress party minister, | should be respected,” Kapil Sibal, a Congress party minister, |
| told India’s CNN-IBN news channel. | told India’s CNN-IBN news channel. |
| The case is sure to revive a debate on India’s | The case is sure to revive a debate on India’s |
| death penalty and whether or not it is being applied consistently. In | death penalty and whether or not it is being applied consistently. In |
| November 2012, a Kashmiri terror suspect, Afzal Guru, who maintained | November 2012, a Kashmiri terror suspect, Afzal Guru, who maintained |
| his innocence, was put to death by the government, sparking massive | his innocence, was put to death by the government, sparking massive |
| protests in his home state. | protests in his home state. |