Former Indian Prime Minister's Assassin Transferred
- 14 years ago
A woman accused of trying to assassinate a former Indian prime minister is being transfered to a new jail. The woman says she was harrassed by prison officials.
Nalini Sriharan, the assassin of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was transferred to the high-security Puzhal prison on Monday.
Puzhal prison is in the city of Chennai in India's southern Tamil Nadu state.
She was moved amid high security.
[Radhakrishnan, Sriharan's Lawyer]: (English)
"Two months back, Nalini had made a request for transfer from Vellore prison to Chennai prison. The reason given by Nalini was at that time that there was harassment to her by the prison officials and it was inconvenient for her to continue in Vellore prison."
The Tamil Nadu government then appointed a committee headed by a top prison official to look into the allegations leveled by Sriharan.
Sriharan's attorney says that conditions then improved in the prison and she had taken back all charges against Vellore jail authorities.
[Radhakrishnan, Sriharan's Lawyer]: (English) ((Cut last 2/3 of last sentence))
"Just two days back, suddenly, the government has transferred her from Vellore prison to Chennai prison. It is really surprising to us."
Sriharan, her husband, and two others were sentenced to death for conspiring to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
She was convicted on 16 counts of murder as well as terrorism and conspiracy against the nation.
But her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment at the plea of Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress and Rajiv’s widow, so that Sriharan’s young daughter would not be orphaned.
The other three remain on death row.
Nalini Sriharan, the assassin of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was transferred to the high-security Puzhal prison on Monday.
Puzhal prison is in the city of Chennai in India's southern Tamil Nadu state.
She was moved amid high security.
[Radhakrishnan, Sriharan's Lawyer]: (English)
"Two months back, Nalini had made a request for transfer from Vellore prison to Chennai prison. The reason given by Nalini was at that time that there was harassment to her by the prison officials and it was inconvenient for her to continue in Vellore prison."
The Tamil Nadu government then appointed a committee headed by a top prison official to look into the allegations leveled by Sriharan.
Sriharan's attorney says that conditions then improved in the prison and she had taken back all charges against Vellore jail authorities.
[Radhakrishnan, Sriharan's Lawyer]: (English) ((Cut last 2/3 of last sentence))
"Just two days back, suddenly, the government has transferred her from Vellore prison to Chennai prison. It is really surprising to us."
Sriharan, her husband, and two others were sentenced to death for conspiring to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
She was convicted on 16 counts of murder as well as terrorism and conspiracy against the nation.
But her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment at the plea of Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress and Rajiv’s widow, so that Sriharan’s young daughter would not be orphaned.
The other three remain on death row.