Perarivalan’s mother pins her hope on Jaya for her son’s release

 

Chennai:

After Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted the death sentence to the three assassins of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to life imprisonment, the mother of Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the case, is pinning her hopes on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to release her son.

Although, the verdict may have brought some joy for Arputhammal, she feels that her son should be released after the statement by former Superintendent of Police of the Central Bureau of Investigation V Thiagarajan, who admitted that he failed to record verbatim the confessional statement of Perarivalan.

“I have sent in a petition to the Chief Minister, who was instrumental in saving my son from the gallows in 2011, and sought her audience. I want to meet her, thank her and seek the release of my son who is innocent. She will do justice,” said the mother, who had more or less turned out an activist against death sentence.

Thanking Chief Justice P Sathasivam for the order, Arputhammal, sporting a badge against death sentence, said the state is now in the forefront in its fight against the abolition of death sentence.

When queried on why she is wearing the badge, Arputhammal said that the fight is not just for Perarivalan but for all those facing death sentence.

Interestingly, Arputhammal also did not forget Senkodi, an active volunteer of Makkal Mandram who immolated herself in front of the Tahsil office at Kancheepuram in 2011 demanding death penalty of the three individuals convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case be commuted.

“I dedicate the commutation of death sentence of my son to Senkodi,” said Arputhamal while trying to control her emotions.

Interestingly, Perarivalan’s mother was waiting for the judgement with bated breath. “I was still afraid the news of the judgement may not come. Only after the order was pronounced did I heave the sigh of relief,” she said.

Interestingly, Arputhammal would be going to Vellore during noon to meet her son and convey the message.

Interestingly, the family of Perarivalan doesn’t have any hatred for Thiagarajan, who did not record verbatim the confessional statement of Perarivalan. Perarivalan’s elder sister Anbumani, who was there along with her husband, said that she doesn’t hold any grudge. “Twenty-three years have passed, atleast he came forward to confess about it,” she remarked hoping to see her brother released from jail