India’s Supreme Court has ordered the discharge of six individuals who had been convicted within the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, drawing sharp criticism from the primary opposition Congress celebration.

Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber whereas campaigning for an election on behalf of the Congress celebration within the southern Indian city of Sriperumbudur in May 1991.

Seven folks had been sentenced to life within the case.

The courtroom stated its resolution was based mostly on the prisoners’ good behaviour and the discharge in May of AG Perarivalan, one other particular person convicted within the case, saying that he was 19 years previous on the time of arrest and had been jailed for greater than 30 years, with 29 of these in solitary confinement.

Gandhi’s widow, Sonia, was till just lately the top of India’s Congress celebration whereas their son, Rahul, and daughter, Priyanka, are additionally amongst its leaders.

“The decision of the Supreme Court to free the remaining killers of former PM Rajiv Gandhi is totally unacceptable and completely erroneous,” the celebration stated in an announcement.

“The Congress party criticises it clearly and finds it wholly untenable. It is most unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India on this issue.”

Gandhi’s killing was seen as an act of retaliation after he despatched Indian peacekeepers to Sri Lanka in 1987, solely to withdraw them after shedding greater than 1200 males in battle and going through allegations of human rights violations within the nation.

His mom, Indira, was assassinated in 1984 over the military’s storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar to crush a Sikh militant motion.