Daijiworld Media Network
Chennai, Aug 26: Soon after prison superintendent Arivudainambi received official communication to carry out the execution for Rajiv Gandhi killers (Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan) on Friday August 26 afternoon, a section of people in Tamil Nadu appealed to the government and powerful leaders to spare these three from hanging.
M Karnunanidhi, former CM of Tamil Nadu and DMK supremo has now openly appealed to Sonia Gandhi, wife of slain former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and current Congress chief to exempt Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan from execution.
The three are to be hanged on September 9.
Earlier, Rajiv Gandhi's assassins Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, facing death penalty, had appealed to Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa to intervene in the matter.
In a statement issued here, Karunanidhi said, "The major ruling party at the centre - the Congress party and its chief Sonia Gandhi should come forward and save the three lives."
He said with only a few days left to take decision in this regard, the state and the central government should take all necessary action to cancel the death sentence to the three.
President Pratibha Patil had on August 11 rejected the mercy petitions of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan -- all linked to the LTTE and sentenced to death for involvement in the assassination.