Santhan, released convict in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, dies

Chennai, Feb 28 (IANS) Santhan alias Suthenthiraja, who was one of the convicts released in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, died on Wednesday at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), Chennai.

Hospital authorities said that he was suffering from cryptogenic cirrhosis . He was admitted to RGGGH for treatment on January 27, according to hospital authorities.

Authorities of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital told IANS that he was admitted in a critical condition and had been referred from the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi.

Santhan was sentenced to death by the trial court and later it was commuted to life-imprisonment.

He was released along with Nalini Sriharan, Sriharan alias Murugan, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Jayakumar from different jails, after spending more than 32 years prison terms after being incarcerated.

He was lodged in the special camp in the Trichy central jail campus, along with Murugan, Jayakumar and Robert Payas, as all of them had no travel documents.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Chennai had on February 23 had issued orders to deport Shanthan to Sri Lanka.