‘Killing Rajiv was a mistake, real conspirators still at large’

Nalini Sriharan, serving a life sentence for her involvement in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, said she “regretted” killing him and claimed that the real conspirators had not been booked yet.

Calling Rajiv Gandhi a “great leader” and a “loss” to the country, Nalini, the lone surviving member of the five-member squad behind the assassination, said, “I regret the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.”

When asked whether the real conspirators have been brought to book, Nalini, whose interview was mailed by her lawyer Elangovan in reply to a questionnaire sent by the PTI, said, “No, as the real killers Sivarasan, Suba and Dhanu were already dead.”

Dhanu, a suicide bomber, had carried out the attack at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on the fateful night of May 21, 1991, killing Rajiv Gandhi and 15 others on the spot.

During the course of investigations, pictures clicked by S Haribabu, an LTTE photographer who was also killed in the blast, exposed the role of Nalini and others. Arrested about a month after the assassination, Nalini was sentenced to death after being convicted on 16 counts of murder.

However, her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after the intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who pleaded for clemency on account of Nalini’s young daughter who was born in jail.

Nalini said in her e-mail reply through her lawyer that her meeting with Priyanka Gandhi, who had come calling to visit her in jail in March, was “historical”.

Elangovan, while describing the meeting of Nalini and Priyanka as “unique”, added that “the real reason behind the meeting is still to be revealed by Priyanka”.

“The meeting is unique. There is no comparison to it in the world history. Priyanka and Nalini did not know each other prior to the meeting. It is unexpected for a daughter of an assassinated victim to meet an accused who has been sentenced for life,” he said.

Elangovan further said, “Whatever may be the reason (for not coming out with real reason behind the meeting) the courage and the generosity of Priyanka should be appreciated. The outcome of the meeting in no way helped Nalini.”

Nalini, whose petition for premature release is pending before the Madras High Court, said the Gandhi family, especially Sonia Gandhi, has been kind to her. Her husband Murugan, an LTTE supporter sentenced to death for the same crime, is presently lodged with her in Vellore jail in Tamil Nadu.

Nalini said that if she is ever released from jail, she does not fear for her safety.

About her daughter Megara, who has turned 15, she said she wants her to be a “software engineer” when she grows up.

Megara, who is living with her grandparents in Sri Lanka, was recently given permission by the Madras High Court to come to the country for further studies as it ruled that she was an Indian citizen because she was born in India.