The Madras High Court Monday issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government on a petition from Nalini, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, seeking to appear as party in person to argue her plea for six months ordinary leave in view of her daughter's marriage.
When her miscellaneous petition came up for hearing, a division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and Nirmal Kumar granted time till June 11 to the additional public prosecutor for filing a counter.
It also gave liberty to Nalini to approach the summer vacation court in case of any urgency for early hearing of her miscellaneous petition filed on her habeas corpus plea.
A habeas corpus plea is a petition which is filed to ensure a person under arrest is brought before a court which will determine whether the detention is legal.
In her plea, Nalini submitted that she has not availed any ordinary leave in the past over 27 years since she was lodged in the prison.
Nalini submitted that she had to make certain arrangements for the marriage of her daughter, Harithra alias Megra, who is presently residing with her grandparents in London.
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She has sought a direction to the government and the prison authorities to produce her before the court enabling her to present her case personally.
Nalini was convicted in the case and sentenced to death. It was subsequently commuted to life term.
Besides her, six others are serving life imprisonment in the case related to the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991.