Relatives Thank Cji, Jaya For Support

[cherlapalli_jailer]

When the bus carrying Arputhammal entered the Koyambedu terminus at 10.35am on Tuesday, news of her son's death sentence being commuted to life was out. She maintained her composure as she alighted from the bus and walked to a hall where a large gathering waited to congratulate her. 

"I have been waiting for this day for the past 22 years," the 67-year-old said, fighting tears, as she was lifted on the shoulders by well-wishers amid firecrackers bursting. For the past two decades, she has been fighting to prove her son Perarivalan's innocence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. In the process, she became the face of the fight against capital punishment. 

Thanking Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam and chief minister J Jayalalithaa, she said she never felt alone in her battle. However, she said her battle was only half won and she would continue her fight against death penalty. She would not remove the badge on her saree that says 'Say No to Death Penalty,' until death penalty was abolished in India. "We will now discuss with lawyers on how to secure Perarivalan's release from the jail. My son is innocent," she said. 

Meanwhile, the mothers of Murugan and Nalini thanked all those who stood by them through the long battle. They visited the couple lodged in different prisons in Vellore. "It is the happiest moment for the family in years," said Padma, Nalini's mother. Murugan's mother Somaniammal, who is settled in the UK, said: "My son was happy with the verdict.