(Image source from: Supreme Court withholds hearing on Rajiv Gandhi assassination case})

The Supreme Court has stayed the release of the seven assassins convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination. The apex court was to decide the fate of the convicts on Tamil Nadu government's plea to release them today. However, it overturned Jayalalithaa's decision and referred the case to a larger constitutional bench to decide on the matter.

The decision to refer the case was taken by Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam who retires on 27 April. For now, the assassins will remain in custody.

The controversial decision to release all the convicts related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was made by the Tamil Nadu government following a Supreme Court's decision to award death sentence to three of the convicts - V Sriharan alias Murugan, AG Perarivalan and T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, factoring in an 11-year delay in deciding their mercy petitions. The four other convicts were put on life term imprisonment.

Jayalalithaa's decision evoked strong responses across the political spectrum with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemning the stay.

On 20 February, a bench headed by the CJI stayed the TN government's order, claiming that there have been procedural lapses on the part of the state.

On 1 April, the Supreme Court refused to review its verdict and dismissed the Centre's review petition.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991. His assassins were convicted by a TADA court in January and were awarded death sentence in 1998. The decision was confirmed by the apex court May 11, 1999.

AW: Suchorita Choudhury