“I have just come out. It has been 31 years of legal battle. I have to breathe a bit. Give me some time,” said A G Perarivalan when reporters asked what were his future plans after being released on the orders of the Supreme Court. Perarivalan, 19-year-old at the time, bought the two 9-volt batteries for Sivarasan, the LTTE man who masterminded the assassination of former prime minister of Rajiv Gandhi. 

Invoking its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Perarivalan, who has served over 30 years in jail in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.