Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that it has completed the necessary arrangements for escorting V Sriharan alias Murugan, one of the convicts in the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai on March 13.
A petition had been submitted in court seeking permission to attend visa interview for travel to the UK and for visiting Sri Lanka consulate for processing his travel documents.
Murugan, a Sri Lankan national, is among the seven convicts who were freed by the Supreme Court in November 2022, after spending 32 years in jail in connection with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991.
Additional Public Prosecutor R Muniyapparaj made the submission during the hearing of the petition filed by Nalini, also a convict in the case and Murugan's wife. The plea was heard before a division bench comprising Justices R Suresh Kumar and K Kumaresh Babu on Tuesday.
Nalini, an Indian citizen, had requested the court to direct authorities to allow her husband, lodged at Special Camp (Foreigners Detention Centre) at Tiruchirapalli, to appear before the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai on any working day between 09.30 am to 15.30 pm for visa interview and provide necessary escort in getting an 'all country passport.' The couple wants to join their daughter, who stays in the UK.
In its earlier hearing on March 8, the court had passed an interim order wherein it had directed the Trichy District Collector to contact the Sri Lanka High Commission and schedule an appointment within a day or two to get a passport or travel document for Murugan.
As per the report of the District Collector, the Additional Public Prosecutor informed court that arrangements have been made to escort Murugan to Sri Lanka High Commission on Wednesday at 12.30 pm. Also, he would be escorted back to the Trichy detention camp after completing the official proceedings, he added.
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