Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts deported to Sri Lanka
Murugan, Jayakumar, and Robert Payas were escorted from Tiruchy special camp, where they were detained after their release, to Chennai airport and then left for Sri Lanka with tight security measures on Wednesday morning.
Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts were deported to Sri Lanka from Chennai. (PTI)
CHENNAI: Three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, who were released from prison after several decades of incarceration, left for their home country, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday.
Murugan, Jayakumar, and Robert Payas were escorted from Tiruchy special camp, where they were detained after their release, to Chennai airport and then left for Sri Lanka with tight security measures on Wednesday morning.
After completing all security checks, the three were seated separately on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Chennai to Colombo. The flight took off from Chennai International Airport at 10.05 am today, sources said.
Their return to their natives, which came 35 years after the assassination that shocked the country, came after the Centre granted permission for their return.
A few weeks ago, their fellow convict Santhan died at a hospital in Chennai while waiting for the nod to return.
This marks the culmination of the long legal battles and discussions related to the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case that spanned 33 years.
The Sri Lankan High Commission had granted passports to the released convicts on March 26.