CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Wednesday that his government will determine whether or not to free the remaining six Rajiv Gandhi assassination suspects.

After the Supreme Court ordered the release of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the seven convicts in the case, Stalin told reporters that the administration will examine the decision, consult legal experts, and then take steps to free the others.  Nalini, V Sriharan alias Murugan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, and P. Ravichandran are the other six lifers.

All of the defendants have been in prison since 1991, when a female LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up in Chennai, killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the spot.

The Tamil Nadu government issued a resolution calling for the release of all prisoners, but the Governor has yet to act.  Stalin described the Supreme Court decision as "historic," saying it "reinforces the country's cooperative federalism." He said that the DMK government had stated that it would strive to free seven prisoners.

The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the state government's authority and stated that the Governor has no authority to meddle in policy choices.

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