News
Indian Supreme Court orders release of Rajiv Gandhi murder convict
India’s Supreme Court has ordered the release of one of the convicts in the 1991 murder of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, foreign media reports said.
A.G. Perarivalan was in jail for over 30 years. In 1998, he was sentenced to death, but it was later commuted.
Arrested at 19, Perarivalan was convicted of procuring batteries that were used in the suicide bomb that killed Gandhi. Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber as he addressed an election rally in Tamil Nadu state. Gandhi’s killing was widely seen as retaliation for sending Indian peacekeeping troops to Sri Lanka in 1987 when he was the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, The Hindu, in a report published on its online edition, quoted former CBI Director, Kaarthikeyan, who probed Rajiv Gandhi assassination, as having said that he had been expecting for this verdict for a long time.
The Supreme Court verdict releasing, A.G. Perarivalan, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is on expected lines, former Director Central Bureau of Investigation D.R. Kaarthikeyan said.
“I respect this verdict and it is on expected lines. We have to respect the Supreme Court judgment,” Kaarthikeyan, who led the Special Investigation Team that probed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, told The Hindu on Wednesday.
However, Karthikeyan sought to dismiss claims that the convicts in the case were innocent. “We did an in-depth investigation, leaving no stone unturned. The team toiled for several months, collecting crucial evidence from all possible sources and finally managed to go from the crime to the criminal. Three eminent Supreme Court judges upheld the verdict after hearing the matter over three long months — perhaps the longest ever appeal heard in the apex court. It is not that any of them were innocent,” he said.
“This was not just another murder. It was not just the family of Rajiv Gandhi and others who died in the blast, who were aggrieved. It was a crime against the country. The whole nation was aggrieved. In all, 18 people, including nine policemen, were killed. The SP of the district Iqbal was killed on his birthday. What did Rajiv Gandhi do to any of them (the convicts)…he only did his duty as the Prime Minister in the larger interest of the people, according to the advice he received and acting on his own judgement,” he said.
The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, conspired in Jaffna, was meant to be a mystery forever. Nobody knew how and where the killing of the former Prime Minister was plotted. “When the CBI Director called for a meeting, no officer was willing to take up the case. I was in Hyderabad when I was requested to investigate this case. I thought it was my duty to the nation and so agreed to take up the challenging assignment which, at that time, was considered totally impossible. It was expected to remain a mystery forever like the Kennedy Assassination case.”
Kaarthikeyan said he and his team took up the investigation with an open mind. Every piece of oral, scientific evidence and human intelligence was put together to build the case from the crime to the criminal. “Our investigation was independent and we did not allow any party or person to interfere.”
On whether life sentence should mean imprisonment till death, Karthikeyan said punishment had to be a deterrent to prevent grave crimes. With increasing number of terror acts, people expected stringent punishment to the wrongdoers. “It is up to Parliament to decide on whether the country is ready to abolish death penalty. As regards life sentences, prisons are reformation centres where there is scope for a convict to realise the mistake made and become a better person. Where the crime is premeditated against the nation and assumes the character of mindless killing of top leaders or innocent public, the only alternative to capital punishment should be employed — life sentence till the end of life,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
