Nineteen acquitted in Rajiv Ghandhi case

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 1999, 23:05 GMT]
The Indian Supreme Court had today acquitted 19 of the 26 accused in the Rajiv Ghandhi murder case. They had earlier been sentenced to death.

The court confirmed the death sentences passed on the first three accused: Nalini, Shanthan, Murugan and Perarivalan, the 18th accused.

The death sentences passed on Robert Pious (9th accused), Jeyakumar, (10th accused) and Ravichandran (16th accused) were commuted to life sentences.

The 19 are expected to be released in two days said legal sources.

Of the twenty-six accused, 13 were Indian nationals and 13 were Sri Lankan Tamils.