Santhan, alias T Suthendiraraja, a Sri Lankan national and one of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who was later freed by the Supreme Court, died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (RGGH) in Chennai on Wednesday morning.
The 55-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest. He was one of the seven persons set free by the apex court in 2022 after they served over 20 years of jail term in connection with the killing of Gandhi in 1991. He was kept at the special camp near the Tiruchirapalli Central Prison.
E Theranirajan, Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where Santhan was undergoing treatment for “liver failure”, said he died at 7.50 AM.
Santhan suffered a cardiac arrest around 4 am on Wednesday but was ‘revived’ following a CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) procedure and was given an oxygen supply and was on a ventilator, Theranirajan told reporters.
However, Santhan did not respond to treatment “and he died at 7.50 am today,” he said.
Theranirajan said that post mortem of his body will be conducted and arrangements are being made to send his body to Sri Lanka.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Chennai last week had issued an order to deport Santhan to Sri Lanka; however, he was admitted to the RGGH for treatment for a kidney-related ailment.
According to Supreme Court order, Santhan’s role in the murder of the former PM was direct and active, reported The Indian Express.