The CBI counsel has explained to the court that the investigation on the majority of pointers of the Jain Commision of Inquiry (JCI) has been completed. However, finalising of some of the issues is based on the outcomes of Letters Rogatory sent abroad.
There were 25 Letters Rogatory sent to 24 countries, out of which, the execution reports in part, is awaited from three countries.
With respect to the proceedings before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, during the hearing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assasination case, it is informed that the apex court had directed to CBI to file a status report on the further investigation conducted by the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) of CBI on mandate stipulated by the JCI and the same has been filed.
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During the hearing, the clarifications sought by the court have been answered based on the progress in investigation.
Furthermore, during the hearing, a plea of the petitioner on the issue of a pending petition under Article 161 of the Constitution of India, the court directed the counsel for the petitioner to ascertain the status of the same from the Government of Tamil Nadu. Earlier on Tuesday, the SC asked the Tamil Nadu government to file a detailed status report within two weeks on the release of those convicted for Rajiv Gandhi's assasination.
Gandhi was assasinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumpudur in May 1991. A two-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageshwar Rao was hearing the matter pertaining to the belt bomb by investigation in the assasination case which involved a convict named AG Perarivalan.
The bench also comprised Justice Deepak Gupta posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
Besides Perarivalan, Ravichandran, S Nalini Sriharan, Murugan, Santhan, Robert Pious, and Jayakumar were convicted in the case.
The Centre had, on the last date of hearing on January 14, filed a status report regarding the belt bomb investigation in the case.
The top court's two-judge bench had, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the report and asked the centre to present the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) before it. The court, after hearing the contentious put forth by one of the juniors of the ASG, Pinkey Anand, asked the Centre to file a fresh updated detailed status report to clarify its position on the issue and had adjourned the matter for today.