Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict A G Perarivalan enrols as Advocate after 31 years in jail

Chennai: A G Perarivalan, who was once sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and spent over three decades in prison, has begun a new chapter as a legal professional. On April 27, the 54-year-old officially enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Perarivalan was released on May 18, 2022, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling after 31 years of incarceration as an accused, convict, and appellant. Following his release, he completed his legal studies at a private law college in Karnataka. Clad in the traditional black lawyer’s coat at the Madras High Court auditorium, Perarivalan reportedly stated that his own decades-long journey through the litigation process inspired him to study law.

At 54, he is now expected to practise at the Madras High Court, representing clients within the same legal system where he spent the majority of his life fighting his own case. Perarivalan was originally arrested in 1991 at the age of 19, accused of providing the 9-volt battery used in the explosive device that killed the former Prime Minister.