Freed Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case Convict Moves Madras HC To Get Passport For UK Travel

Nalini Sriharan, a freed convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, on Thursday moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to authorities concerned to permit her husband to appear before the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai for getting a passport to leave the country.

In her petition ,Nalini, who is an Indian citizen, submitted that she and her husband Sriharan alias Murugan wanted to join their daughter, residing in the UK and that she had appeared before the authorities concerned for a UK visa.

Nalini's husband is also an ex-convict in the case. A Sri Lankan national, Murugan has been lodged at a special camp in Tiruchirappalli after the Supreme Court ordered for the release of all seven convicts in the case in November 2022.

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Nalini sought the court direction to the officials concerned as the court had earlier allowed Murugan to appear before the consular office in Chennai. Respondents included the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO), Chennai, State of Tamil Nadu and Tiruchirappalli District Collector, a news agency PTI report mentioned.

A division bench of Justices MS Ramesh and Sunder Mohan, before whom the petition came up for hearing, directed the Registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice for posting it before some other bench for hearing.

Though the couple made several requests to the respondents to permit Murugan to attend the visa interview, the respondents reportedly did not permit him and then subsequently moved the court, which granted him the relief, saying he should be provided necessary escort.

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The Lankan High Commission informed there was no procedure to give appointments and that any Sri Lankan national can visit the office on a working day during stipulated working hours.

"Hence there is no need for the respondents to get letter from the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission for the production of my husband. When there is an indication by the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission it will be applicable to all the authorities concerned. Hence refusal to produce him before the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission amounts to illegal detention of my husband," PTI quoted Nalini's submission.

Nalini said her husband "is under the custody of the respondents" and that they were duty-bound to produce him before the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission.