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SC calls for review petition in Rajiv case

The Supreme Court today made it clear that it would not stay the execution of the four convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case fixed for June 9 unless a petition was filed seeking review of the court's earlier judgment confirming the death sentence awarded to them by a Madras special court.

The condemned prisoners had complained that the special court had fixed their hanging for June 9 after the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentences on May 11, without even granting them an opportunity of seeking a review of the apex court judgement within the statutory period of 30 days.

The petitioners had, in their plea on May 21, prayed that the execution should be stayed till the third week of July when the court reopens after the summer vacation or till the hearing of the review petition, which was yet to be filed.

Today's clarification came from a vacation bench comprising Justice Sujata V Manohar and Justice V N Khare hearing a petition filed on behalf of the four convicts -- Santhan, Nalini, her husband Murugan and Arivu.

When the counsel for the four convicts V Ramasubramanian informed the court that he would file the review petition on June 7, the judges adjourned the hearing on the matter till then.

UNI

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