India's top court orders release of 6 convicts in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case

Supreme Court

NEW DELHI, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- India's top court Friday ordered the release of six people convicted for the assassination of the country's former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

The convicts were serving life sentences and had spent more than 30 years in jail.

"The appellants are directed to be set at liberty if not required in any other matter," the Supreme Court of India ordered.

In May this year, the top court used its extraordinary powers to free a seventh convict. The same order applied to the rest of the convicts, the court said.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991.