Robert Pious, one of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has written to the Tamil Nadu government seeking mercy killing. He said he has been in prison for over 27 years and has lost any purpose in life.

"I've been in prison for more than 27 years now...I can understand the intention of the government and as none of my family member have come to see me, I don't find anymore purpose in life," Pious said in his letter.

He said even one of the judges who pronounced him guilty in 1999 had said he is innocent but yet in the prison.

"Hence I'm never going to be released from prison, I request to 'mercy kill' me," Robert Pious wrote from Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai seeking euthanasia.

"In 2014, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa had attempted to get us released but now I understand that the government would want me to spend the rest of my life in prison. This is not just affecting me but my family as well. I request you to grant me permission for mercy killing," Robert Pious said in his letter.

WHO IS ROBERT PIOUS

He is a Sri Lankan Tamil who was alleged to be a part of LTTE commando team. Robert Pious had confessed before police that he was one of key planners in the assassination.

Robert Pious is one of the seven persons who were found guilty of involvement in the assassination of the former prime minister on 21 May 1991 during an election rally at Sriperumbudur.

The Supreme Court has already dismissed the pleas of the Tamil Nadu government and one convict seeking review of its judgement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case in which was ruled that the Centre has "primacy" over states' right to grant remission.

The Tamil Nadu government had on July 28 last year moved the apex court seeking review of its judgement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The petition had sought review of the apex court's verdict given in December 2015, virtually overturning the state government's clemency decision.

A five-judge bench had in 2015 said that the state governments must secure "concurrence" of the Union government before freeing convicts in certain cases.

REQUESTS OF OTHER CONVICTS

One of the seven convicts, Nalini had even staged a hunger strike seeking her transfer from Vellore prison to Puzhal Central Prison near Chennai. After Nalini's request, another convict Perarivalan's mother filed a plea seeking his transfer to Puzhal stating that he needs treatment at the Chennai government hospital.

Perarivalan had even attempted to define his request for release based on Sanjay Dutt's release from prison in the Arms Act case. Nalini, on the other hand, had filed a plea with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

-With inputs from Pramod Madhav

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