Supreme Court adjourns Rajiv Gandhi case convict Perarivalan’s bail plea

Petitioner side’s letter for adjournment brought to Bench’s notice

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned by three weeks the hearing of a plea for bail filed by , who said that the “stalemate” over his release from prison was “completely political”. A Vacation Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari was informed that the petitioner side had circulated a letter for adjournment of the case. Advocate Ashok Panigrahi, appearing for the Union of India, told the court about the adjournment letter. Advocate Joseph Aristotle represented the State of Tamil Nadu in the case. “After sleeping over for five years in the Article 161 (pardon) petition and sitting over the recommendation of the State Cabinet to release the petitioner for more than a good two-and-a-half years, the Union of India, on February 4, has filed an affidavit [in the Supreme Court] stating that Governor has sent the petition to the President, whereas the law is clear that Governor does not have independent discretion,” Perarivalan, represented by advocates Prabu Ramasubramanian and K. Paari Vendhan, has contended in the bail application.