AG Perarivalan alias Arivu is one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He is accused of purchasing and supplying nine-volt batteries used in the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that exploded on May 21, 1991, killing former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Wiki/Biography
AG Perarivalan was born on Friday, July 30, 1971 (now 51 years old; as of 2022) in Jolarpet, Tamil Nadu. He holds a diploma in Electronics and Communication Engineering, which he completed before his arrest. He was only 19 years old when he was arrested in 1991. While in prison, he completed grade 12 in 2012 with 91.33%, the highest score among all the prisoners. He then also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications and a Master’s degree in Computer Applications from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) while in prison.
Pictured is AG Perarivalan when he was young
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 11″
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
Family and caste
Parents and siblings
His father, T Gnanasekaran (78 in 2020), was a Tamil teacher at a government school in Jolarpet. Gnanasekaran also used to write poetry in Tamil under the pen name Kuyildasan. His mother, Arputham Ammal, has been a housewife since her marriage. She travelled between jails, lawyers’ offices and courts seeking her son’s release. Thousands of Tamil Nadu people fondly called her Arivamma (amma of Arivu).
Perarivalan with parents
He has two sisters, elder AG Anbumani is an engineer in the Rural Development Department and younger AG Arulselvi teaches at Annamalai University.
Attorney General Perarivaran, the convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was released by the Supreme Court on May 18, 2022, posing with his father and sister
Relationships and Children
Perarivalan is unmarried.
Arrest and sentencing
On June 11, 1991, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Perarivalan from his residence in Periyar Thidal, Chennai, in connection with the investigation into the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Later, a case was registered under the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. [TADA] Peralivaran was charged for his alleged involvement in the assassination and was accused of purchasing and supplying the 9-volt batteries used in the explosive device to the assassination mastermind Sivarasan. On January 28, 1998, the Chennai TADA Special Court sentenced all 26 people, including Attorney General Peralivaran, to death. Peralivaran was found guilty of conspiracy (IPC 120-B) and murder (IPC 320). On May 11, 1999, the Supreme Court of India sentenced Attorney General Peralivaran to death. On February 18, 2014, a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva Kirti Singh commuted the death sentence of Peralivaran and two other convicts, Murugan and Santhan, to life imprisonment. Since then, he has been lodged in the Puzhal Central Jail in Chennai.
A major revelation 26 years later
There are some twists and turns in Peralivaran’s story. It is also believed that Attorney General Peralivaran was a victim of poor investigation. 26 years after his arrest, there has been a major development in the case. On October 27, 2017, former CBI officer V. Thiagarajan filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, claiming that he had recorded Peralivaran’s confession as early as 1991 during the investigation. He also said that he omitted a part of Peralivaran’s confession in which he admitted that he did not know that the batteries he bought and handed over to the mastermind Sivarasan would be used to make the IED that killed Rajiv Gandhi. He also quoted a radio message sent by the main conspirator Sivarasan to the senior Tamil Tiger operative Pottu Amman on May 7, 1991. In the message, Sivarasan said: “No one knows our intention except the three of us” – himself, Subha and Danu (the suicide bomber). Perhaps Peralivaran was not aware of the conspiracy. However, in 2018, the CBI refuted the claims of former CBI interrogator V. Thiagarajan that he had deliberately omitted a part of Peralivaran’s confession. The CBI report further stated that Peralivaran was deeply involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.
release
Death row (Rajiv Murder Case – The Truth Out): This book was written by Peralivaran and published by AB Bardhan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, before Peralivaran’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. The book tells the story of Peralivaran as a death row inmate in jail; including events, facts, disposition of the case and Peralivaran’s letters and appeals for justice. The book is available in three languages: Hindi, English and Tamil.
Cover of AG Perarivalan’s book “Appeal from a Death Row (Rajiv Murder Case – The Truth Uncovered)”
In the picture: (from right to left): Perarivalan’s mother Arputham Ammal, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary AB Bardhan, MDMK leader Vaiko, Communist Party of India leaders D. Raja and Jagmohan Singh
release
On May 18, 2022, after more than 30 years in jail in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the Supreme Court ordered the release of Perarivaran, invoking special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
Facts/Trivia
- Perarivaran provides coaching classes to fellow inmates who are preparing for various prison exams.
- He also formed a music band with prison inmates.
- Inspired by Peralivaran, former prisoner Ponnappan started an education trust called Peralivaran Education Trust to provide free education to underprivileged children in Tamil Nadu.
- As a result of being incarcerated for so long, Perarivaran developed high blood pressure and other health problems.
- In 2016, Perarivaran was attacked with an iron rod by another life sentence inmate inside the jail and was seriously injured.
Perarivaram was taken to a government hospital after being attacked by a prisoner
- Peralivaran was only released on bail or parole 27 years after his arrest, in August 2017, when he was granted a month’s parole to be with his ailing father. The parole was extended for another month.
Perarivaran’s mother welcomes her son after 27 years, performs aarti
- In November 2019, Perarivaran was again released on parole to attend his sister’s wedding.
Perarivalan Attending sister’s wedding with family and relatives
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education