This comprehensive biography details the life of Nalini Sriharan, a key figure in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. From her early life to her release from prison after three decades, we explore her story.

Wiki/Biography

Nalini was born in 1967 (age 55 as of 2022) in Ambalavanapuram, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. She earned an English Literature degree from Ethiraj College, Chennai, and later worked for a private Chennai company. Her arrest followed her alleged involvement in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination on June 14, 1991. Imprisoned, she remarkably achieved an MCA (Master of Computer Applications) from IGNOU in 2009 and a tailoring diploma.

Physical Appearance

• Height (approx.): 5’4″
• Hair Colour: Black
• Eye Colour: Black

Family and Caste

Nalini hails from a Malayalam-speaking family. Her father, P. Sankara Narayanan, a police inspector, passed away in 2016 at age 92. Her mother, Padmavathi Ammal, worked as a hospital nurse in Chennai. Interestingly, Mahatma Gandhi is said to have named her mother. Nalini is the eldest of three siblings; she has a sister, Kalyani, and a brother, P. S. Bhagyanathan. Her mother and brother were also arrested in 1991 but later acquitted by the Supreme Court in 1998.

Relationship & Children

Nalini is married to V. Sriharan (Murugan), a fellow convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. She was two months pregnant at the time of her arrest. Her daughter, initially named Megara, later Harithra Sriharan, lived with her in prison until age six. Harithra’s paternal grandmother then took her to Sri Lanka, and she now resides in London, working as a medical professional.

Nalini’s Role in Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassination

Nalini was the sole survivor of the five-member assassination squad. On May 21, 1991, she accompanied the team, including key conspirator Sivarasan, to Rajiv Gandhi’s Sriperumbudur rally. Photographs taken by local photographer S. Haribabu (who also died in the blast) linked Nalini to the conspirators. Investigations revealed Nalini provided shelter to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) operatives who carried out the assassination.

Arrest & Sentence

Nalini and Murugan were arrested on June 14, 1991, at Chennai’s Saidapet bus stand. Found guilty under Section 120B (conspiracy) and Section 302 (murder) of the IPC, the TADA court initially sentenced her and 25 others to death. Human rights groups protested the secretive trial. Sonia Gandhi’s plea for clemency led to the commutation of Nalini’s sentence to life imprisonment in April 2000.

Autobiography of S. Nalini Sriharan

In 2016, Nalini published a 500-page autobiography, “Rajiv Kolai: Maraikkappatta Unmaigalum, Priyanka Nalini Santhipum” (English Title: The Rajiv Assassination: The Hidden Truths And The Meeting Between Priyanka And Nalini). It details her childhood, relationship with Murugan, involvement in the assassination conspiracy, her time as a fugitive, arrest, imprisonment, and a 2008 meeting with Priyanka Gandhi.

Release

On November 11, 2022, Nalini and five others were released from prison. She expressed a desire to reunite with her daughter in the UK. She stated, “That is my first priority. My entire family is destroyed… I have to gather them in bits and pieces.”

Facts/Trivia

Nalini excelled academically, scoring 87% in her postgraduate exams, topping among Tamil Nadu prisoners. She was granted parole only three times: once for her brother’s wedding, again for her father’s funeral, and lastly for her daughter’s wedding. She was separated from her daughter for two years after her birth. While regretting Rajiv Gandhi’s death, she alleges that the true masterminds remain at large.

Education and Achievements During Imprisonment