Perarivalan is one of the convicts who has been serving a jail sentence of 31 years after being arrested in 1991 in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Earlier today, we reported that he was released by the Supreme Court today in a historical verdict.

This morning, Indian cinema's Ulaga Naayagan and Makkal Needhi Maiam party leader Kamal Haasan penned a heartfelt note lavishing praise on Perarivalan's mother Arputham Ammal, who faced a lot of political and judicial struggles over the three decades over her son's release.

Kamal Haasan's message on Twitter translates to, "31 years longer than life imprisonment. We are glad it is over now. In a situation where the governments have played games in injustice to Perarivalan, the court has voluntarily released him. Justice and the warlike nature of the Arputham mother has succeeded." (sic)

Perarivalan was accused of having bought two 9-volt battery cells for the LTTE who executed the conspiracy against Rajiv Gandhi. He was arrested at the age of 19 in 1991 and was sentenced to death by a TADA court in 1998. It was upheld and commuted to a life sentence by the Supreme Court. Perarivalan filed a case in the Supreme Court in 2016 seeking his release from this case.

Today, the Supreme Court ruled that it was wrong for the governor to delay the decision and ordered the release of Perarivalan using Section 142. The court passed the order considering his good conduct in jail, medical condition and educational qualifications acquired while in custody. He had also authored a book.

ஆயுள்தண்டனையைக் காட்டிலும் நீண்ட 31 ஆண்டுகள். இப்போதேனும் முடிந்ததே என மகிழ்கிறோம். பேரறிவாளனுக்கான அநீதியில் அரசுகள் பந்து விளையாடிய சூழலில், நீதிமன்றமே முன்வந்து விடுதலை செய்திருக்கிறது. வென்றது நீதியும் அற்புதம் அன்னையின் போர்க்குணமும்.

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 18, 2022