Convicts in Rajiv Gandhi case, including Nalini's husband, return to Sri Lanka 2 years after release

Escorted from a special camp in Tiruchirappalli, where they had been held post-release, to the Chennai International Airport, the trio, all Sri Lankan nationals, were granted passports by their home country.

Three individuals, who were convicted in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, embarked on a journey to Colombo early Wednesday (April 3) morning. Murugan, Robert Payas, and Jayakumar, among the six released in November 2022 by the Supreme Court, were deemed to have exhibited "satisfactory behavior" during their imprisonment, as acknowledged by the court. Their release was also endorsed by the Tamil Nadu government.

Escorted from a special camp in Tiruchirappalli, where they had been held post-release, to the Chennai International Airport, the trio, all Sri Lankan nationals, were granted passports by their home country.

Murugan, notably, is married to Nalini, an Indian citizen who was part of the group released in 2022, with her death sentence commuted earlier due to pregnancy during sentencing.

Accompanying her husband to the airport, Nalini was seen spending moments with him before he proceeded into the terminal. Notably, Nalini's life had been spared three decades ago due to an intervention by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who cited her pregnancy during the sentencing.

Perarivalan, an Indian citizen and one of the convicts released earlier in May 2022, was among the first to regain freedom. Unfortunately, Santhan, another Sri Lankan national among the released, passed away in a Chennai hospital while receiving treatment for a liver ailment.