Chennai, April 29:
A. G. Perarivalan, who spent over three decades in prison in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, has now enrolled as an advocate and will practice at the Madras High Court.
Perarivalan, now 54, formally enrolled with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Monday, marking a transition from being an accused and convict within the legal system to becoming a practicing lawyer in the same system.
He stated that his years in prison since 1991 have shaped his perspective, and he intends to focus on cases related to wrongful detention, delays in the justice system, and the rights of undertrial prisoners. He also expressed his intention to provide legal assistance to inmates who lack adequate representation.
Perarivalan was arrested at the age of 19 in connection with the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, an attack attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The allegation against him was that he procured a nine-volt battery, which was later used in the improvised explosive device involved in the assassination. This claim was supported by testimony from a shopkeeper during the investigation.
The case was registered under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). In 1998, a TADA court convicted Perarivalan and others for conspiracy to murder, awarding him the death sentence. The conviction and sentence were upheld by the Supreme Court of India in 1999.
In 2014, the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment, citing an 11-year delay by the Government of India in deciding his mercy petition. After spending over 30 years in custody, including a prolonged period on death row, Perarivalan was released in May 2022. The Supreme Court ordered his release by invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, taking into account delays in the executive process and other relevant factors.
During his imprisonment, Perarivalan pursued education, completing diploma and degree courses in computer applications and literature. After his release, he completed his legal studies, which enabled his enrolment as an advocate.
With his entry into the legal profession, Perarivalan is expected to work on issues concerning prisoners’ rights and access to justice, drawing on his personal experience within the criminal justice system.
