Congress MP writes to President objecting to bar enrolment of Perarivalan

Mayiladuthurai MP R. Sudha (Congress) on Wednesday (April 29, 2026) wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, objecting to the enrolment of A.G. Perarivalan, who had served life term in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, as an advocate in the rolls of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTNP) on Monday (April 27, 2026).

Seeking to address a gap or vacuum in law “relating to enrolment of people convicted for serious offences including acts of terrorism,” she recalled that the death penalty imposed on Mr. Perarivalan was confirmed by the Supreme Court on May 11, 1999. Thereafter, due to an inordinate delay in considering his mercy plea, the top court commuted the sentence to life imprisonment on January 21, 2014. Finally, on May 18, 2022, the Supreme Court ordered his release, again because of an inordinate delay on the part of the then Governor in taking a decision on his plea for remission.