Welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict commuting the death sentence of four aides of slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, his wife Muthulakshmi today said the four should be released as they were in jail for 20 years.
"I am very happy about today's judgement. At the same time, all the four have already spent 20 years in prison. They can be considered for pre-mature release," she told PTI.
She claimed that several innocent farmers were arrested prosecuted on the charge of being the associates of Veerappan, who was killed in an encounter by Special Task Force in October 2004.
Holding that death sentence of a condemned prisoner can be commuted to life imprisonment on the ground of delay on the part of the government in deciding the mercy plea, the apex court today gave life term to 15 death row inmates, including four aides of Veerappan.
