Government noncommittal on arguments by convicts

CHENNAI: “No remarks to offer’’ was the answer of the TN government to the various contentions raised by Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan in their writ petitions challenging the order of the President rejecting their mercy petitions.The common counter-affidavits filed by Home Secretary Rameshram Misra, however, prayed to the Madras High Court to dismiss all the writ petitions from the trio.The counters began with the sentence that all the averments made by the petitioners were denied, except those that were specially admitted herein.As regards the vital contention of inordinate delay on the part of the President in deciding the mercy pleas and the procedures adopted, the counter submitted that it had no comments to offer on this issue. Regarding the moral support of the public in the State to the petitioners’ demand for commutation, the counter said that it had no remarks. Regarding the citation of Supreme Court rulings on belated disposal of mercy petitions in favour of the accused, the counter said that the State government had no remarks to offer on this pleading and sought the dismissal of the petitions.