Karunanidhi keeps mum on SC decision on Rajiv Gandhi's killers

Chennai: DMK president M Karunanidhi today refrained from commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision to refer to a larger Constitution Bench, the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. “Since these are court matters, I don’t want to give much opinion,” he told reporters here. [caption id=“attachment_1497699” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  M Karunanidhi. Reuters[/caption] The Supreme Court had referred the matter on remission of life imprisonment of seven convicts in the case to a Constitution Bench and said its interim order staying Tamil Nadu government’s decision to free them will continue. A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said that the petition filed by the Centre, challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to remit the sentences, will be decided by the Constitution Bench. MDMK founder Vaiko said he was expecting the release of the convicts and alleged that Karunanidhi had “criticised” Chief Justice Sathasivam for indicating last week that the verdict will be given on this case soon. Karunanidhi had on Saturday said that Justice Sathasivam’s indication that the verdict on the petition relating to release of all seven life convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case would be given in a week had led to fears of a political fallout in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 24 April Lok Sabha polls. “With polling scheduled on 24 April, Justice Sathasivam saying that an important verdict will be pronounced before his retirement date of April 25 has led to fears among many if it will lead to a political fallout and created a big debate among advocates,” he had said. Justice Sathasivam had said in Coimbatore last week that since he was demitting office as CJI on 25 April, the Supreme Court’s verdict on the petition by the Centre challenging Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release the convicts will be given before that. PTI