Santhan, a Sri Lankan national who was convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case but later freed by the Supreme Court, passed away on Wednesday due to a cardiac arrest, as confirmed by a government official. He was 55 years old.
Santhan, also known as T Suthendiraraja, was among the seven individuals released by the Supreme Court in 2022 after serving over 20 years of imprisonment in connection with the assassination of the former Prime Minister in Sriperumbudur in 1991.
E Theranirajan, the Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where Santhan was receiving treatment for liver failure, stated that he suffered a cardiac arrest around 4 am on Wednesday. Despite undergoing CPR and receiving oxygen supply with a ventilator, Santhan did not respond to treatment and passed away at 7.50 am.
Santhan had been admitted to the hospital on January 27 from a special camp in Tiruchirappalli, where he was staying following his release, for the treatment of liver failure.
His counsel, S Pugazhenthi, mentioned that steps were being taken to transport Santhan’s mortal remains to Sri Lanka, his home country. Pugazhenthi expressed regret that Santhan couldn’t fulfill his wish to see his mother, attributing it to delays in his deportation to Sri Lanka.
Regarding Santhan’s refusal to undergo a liver biopsy against medical advice, Pugazhenthi explained that Santhan preferred to have the procedure done in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, where he would feel more secure surrounded by his mother and close relatives. This decision was supported by Pugazhenthi, who signed the papers refusing the biopsy in India.
Political leaders, including MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, and NTK chief coordinator Seeman, urged the Centre not to confine other individuals, namely Murugan, Robert Payas, and Jayakumar, who were also released by the Supreme Court, to refugee camps. Instead, they advocated for their return to their preferred places of residence.
