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SC to decide fate of 26 accused in Rajiv assassination case tomorrow

The much-awaited judgment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be delivered by the Supreme Court tomorrow, according to prosecution sources in Madras.

The fate of the 26 accused, who were brought to trial by the Special Investigation Team and sentenced to death by the designated court in Madras on January 28, 1998, would be known when a Supreme Court division bench pronounces its verdict.

The apex court's final verdict -- on the appeal filed by the 26 accused against the designated court's judgment -- would bring to close the most challenging criminal investigation in independent India.

The bench had heard the appeal from September 15 to January 15 before reserving its order.

The 26 accused, whose fate hangs in balance, are: Nalini, a local Tamil girl and Santhan, Sriharan, Sankar, all Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militants. Vijayanandan, Sivaruban, S Kanagasabapathy, Athirai, Robert Payas, Jayakumar, Shanti, S Vijayan, S Selvalakshmi, S Bhaskaran, S Shanmugavadivelu, P Ravichandran, Suseendran, Perarivalan, Irumborai, S Bhagyanathan, Padma, Subha Sundaram, Dhanasekaran, Rangan, Vicky and Ranganath.

Though 41 persons, including LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran, his deputy and intelligence chief Pottu Amman and women's wing leader Akila, were arraigned as accused in the chargesheet filed by the SIT, only 26 were tried in the case in the designated court.

The 26 accused are now lodged in various central prisons in Tamil Nadu.

UNI

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