Three victims' kin to implead in Rajiv assassination case

 The kin of three of the 16 victims who perished in the bomb blast which killed former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, on Thursday said that they would implead in the Supreme Court.

E John, brother of SB-CID inspector Edward Joseph, S Abbas, son of former Congress south Chennai district secretary Santani Begum, and L Mohan, son of ex-member of the now abolished Legislative Council Munusamy, said they would implead when the case comes up for hearing before the Supreme Court.

“We will implead after March 6, the next hearing, perhaps after the arguments put forth by the Centre,” they said.

Apart from Rajiv Gandhi, five Congress functionaries and 10 police personnel, including nine from Tamil Nadu, were killed in the suicide bomb attack during an election meeting at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.

Stating that they were “unhappy” with the apex court commuting the death sentence of the convicts, John, Abbas and Mohan, however, said they respect the judgement and the judges. “But the convicts, who have been awarded death penalty after due legal process, should be punished,” they said.