The Centre has declined to pardon Gnanaprakash, the lifelong prisoner and aide to forest brigand Veerappan, on the grounds that his 1993 landmine explosion in Karnataka, which claimed 22 police lives, constituted a “serious crime” that affected the nation’s internal security.
The Supreme Court heard a petition filed by Gnanaprakash’s wife Selva Mary requesting her husband’s release last week, and at the hearing the Center’s decision from September 25, 2023 was presented.
The other three accomplices of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, Simon, Meesekaara Madaiah, and Bilavendran, have all passed away in prison from old age and health issues, leaving Gnanaprakash as the only living convict in this case.
After being found to have fourth-stage lung cancer in November of last year, the highest court granted him interim release after he had spent 30 years in prison.
Coveted panel of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi mentioned in their order that, “… the representation/mercy petition filed by Selva Mary, wife of Gnanaprakash, seeking premature release of Gnanaprakash, has been rejected. The petitioner (Selva Mary) will be at liberty to challenge this order before the jurisdictional high court by way of a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.”
A copy of the statement proposed by the justices, as per the review by HT, read, “The life convict Gnanaprakash was involved in laying land mines knowing fully well the blasts would kill and injure many persons. It is a serious crime which has bearing on the internal security of the country.”
Due to Gnanaprakash’s health, the court had freed him on temporary bail on November 28 of last year. Senior attorney S. Nagamuthu and advocate S. Prabhu Ramasubramanian, who were representing the petitioner, told the court that they will be appealing the September 25 ruling to the high court. The highest court declared, extending the temporary bail for an additional three months. “After the writ petition is filed (before the high court), the petitioner Selva Mary to press for extension of interim bail till decision of the writ petition, which prayer will be considered in accordance with law.”
On September 19, 2020, Selva Mary submitted a mercy appeal under Article 72 to the President of India, requesting her husband’s release. He had served 27 years in prison at that point.
The MHA ruling stated that after considering the state’s proposal and the mercy plea, “After considering the above facts, documents and materials on record, the competent authority as rejected the mercy petition filed by Selva Mary for pre-mature release of life convict Gnanaprakash.”
