Chennai: 'Auto Shankar' case convict granted leave for marriage

Chennai: A life convict in the notorious 'AutoShankar' case has been granted leave for a month for his wedding with a nurse in Madurai.

Justice TS Sivagnanam, before whom the petition filed bythe bride came up for hearing, directed the authorities of Central Prison at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli to grant ordinary leave to the convict Selva alias Selvaraj from April 6 till May 10. The judge directed the convict to report to Palayamkottai prison by 5 P.M. on May 10.

He also directed the authorities to follow the usual procedure of sending an escort with the life convict. Petitioner F Kalarani, a nurse in an eye hospital and a relative of the convict, sought a direction to the authorities for releasing Selvaraj from prison on ordinary leave for two months for his marriage with her scheduled for tomorrow.

"Auto" Shankar and his gang were involved in a series ofmurders besides other criminal activities in the city during the 1980s. Along with his associates, he was arrested in 1988. Shankar was hanged in April, 1995.