Rajiv Gandhi killers don't deserve leniency, can't be freed: Centre to SC

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday rejected the Tamil Nadu government's proposal to release seven killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and informed about its decision to the Supreme Court.

"The releasing of killers of former PM Rajiv Gandhi will set a very dangerous precedent. The case has been decided by various forum of judiciary and executive and the prisoners do not deserve to be set free... The Centre, in pursuance of section 435 of the Criminal Procedure Code does not concur with the proposal of Tamil Nadu government for grant of further remissions of sentence to seven convicts," said the Centre to the Supreme Court.

The government called the former prime minister's killing "gruesome" and added that killers don't deserve leniency.

"Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was the most heinous and gruesome crime, the brutal Act brought the Indian democratic process to a grinding halt in as much as the general election to the Lok Sabha and the convicts do not deserve any leniency," said the Centre.

The apex court was told that the CBI, which investigated the case, has opposed the release of the convicts.

Tamil Nadu had been informed of the decision on April 18, the Centre told the court.

A constitution bench of the Supreme Court judges had said in 2015 that the convicts cannot be released without the consent of the Central government.