Accuseds mother meets Iyer with appeal

KOCHI: As a last resort to save her son from the noose, 65-year-old Arputham Ammal, mother of A G Perarivalan, one of the three accused sentenced for capital punishment in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case, met Justice V R Krishna Iyer with an appeal. Acting promptly, Justice Iyer sent letters to Advocate Fali S Nariman and Anil Dhiwan  requesting to appear for Perarivalan.Arputham visited Justice Iyer at the latter’s residence here on Wednesday along with Advocate Rajiv of Chennai. She handed over a request by Perarivalan seeking help from Iyer.  “I am on the verge of death as my mercy petition was rejected by the President. As a last resort, I have moved the Madras High Court and got an interim stay. But another petition has been filed by one Venkat before the Supreme court, seeking transfer of my commutation petition to any other High Court. The Apex Court issued notice. The case will be considered on October 10. I am in need of a senior Supreme Court advocate for conducting the case. I request you to engage either Advocate Anil Dhiwan or Advocate Fali S Nariman to appear on my behalf,” the letter said.“I already lost the legal battle. Because of poverty I could not engage a senior counsel. Now I believe it’s my last chance. I have to defend myself and has to do in an effective manner. You have always been a helping hand and my only hope. You have helped me in my hour of need many times,” the letter further said.Meeting Justice Iyer, Arputham elaborated about her grief over the death sentence to her son. Considering  the request, Iyer sent letters to Nariman and Anil requesting to argue for this unfortunate commiseration.“After 11 years, now a notice has been issued by the Supreme Court to transfer the petition. If I were a judge, of course I retired more than 30 years ago, the ordeal of the accused who has suffered the torture of 11 years with a death sentence pending, I would have unhesitatingly treated that as ground for commutation. But judges differ as mind is differ. Eleven years long delay is a torture enough to justify compassion for commutation. But now I can only plead with you to represent this unfortunate accused before the court,”  Iyer said in the letter adding that the major ground being eleven years with a rigorous imprisonment.