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Nalini Sriharan (Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict) Biography: Age, C

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1967

Age55 (as of 2022)

BirthplaceAmbalavanapuram, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

ProfessionFormer stenographer; later student (MCA) while incarcerated

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSriharan alias Murugan

FamilyDaughter - Harithra (born in prison); Father - P. Sankara Narayanan (deceased 2016); Mother - Padmavathi Ammal; Siblings - P. S. Bhagyanathan, Kalyani

Nalini Sriharan (Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict) Biography

Nalini Sriharan is an Indian woman convicted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Born in 1967 in Ambalavanapuram, Tamil Nadu, she —

Early life and background
Nalini Sriharan was born in 1967 in Ambalavanapuram, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, into a well-educated Malayalam family. Her father served as a police inspector in the Tamil Nadu Police and her mother worked as a nurse in Chennai. Nalini is the eldest of three children; she has a sister, Kalyani, and a brother, P. S. Bhagyanathan.

Before her arrest she lived in Tamil Nadu and completed her undergraduate studies in English-language literature at Ethiraj College, Chennai. Later, while incarcerated, she pursued further education through Indira Gandhi National Open University and earned a Master of Computer Applications, reportedly topping the MCA exams taken by inmates in 2009.

Career
Prior to her arrest, Nalini worked as a stenographer in a private company. In February 1991 she met Murugan, a Sri Lankan national and LTTE activist, with whom she formed a close relationship and later married. Two months pregnant at the time of her arrest, she gave birth to a daughter in prison on 21 January 1992.

Legal case and imprisonment
Nalini was one of the accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at a political rally in Sriperumbudur on 21 May 1991. The prosecution’s case placed her at the event seated in the crowd along with other conspirators. She was arrested by a Special Investigation Team from Saidapet bus stand in Chennai on 14 June 1991, along with Murugan.

A TADA court found her guilty under charges that included criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide, and in January 1998 she received a death sentence along with other convicts. That sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court on 24 April 2000. Over the years she served her sentence in Tamil Nadu’s prisons and spent decades behind bars, during which she received parole on at least three occasions: in 2004 for her brother’s marriage, in 2016 following her father’s death, and for 51 days in July 2019 for her daughter’s marriage.

While incarcerated she maintained contact with the outside world in several limited ways. In March 2008 she met Priyanka Gandhi in prison and, in 2016, published a substantial autobiography that recounts her life, relationships, arrest, time in jail, and the meeting with Priyanka Gandhi. Her book runs to over 500 pages and was published with both a Tamil title and an English translated title.

Release
On 11 November 2022 the Supreme Court of India ordered the release of six accused, including Nalini Sriharan. She was released from Tamil Nadu prisons on 12 November 2022 after serving 31 years. After her release she told reporters that her immediate priority was to reunite with her daughter, who lives in the United Kingdom, and that she planned to seek travel documents so they could be together.

Public profile
Nalini’s story has remained in the public eye because of the high-profile nature of the case and the long duration of her imprisonment. Media coverage has recorded details of her family background, education achievements while in custody, the birth and subsequent life of her daughter, and her appeals for premature release, which were repeatedly rejected by the Madras High Court. Her mother and brother were arrested in connection with the case in 1991 but were later acquitted by the Supreme Court in 1998.

Latest updates
Following the Supreme Court order in November 2022, Nalini was released and gave media interviews about her plans to reunite with family members. She indicated an intention to approach the Sri Lankan High Commission for emergency travel documents so she and her husband could travel to the United Kingdom to meet their daughter. As of her release she remained intent on rebuilding family connections after decades in prison.
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Recent Work

Rajiv Kolai: Maraikkappatta Unmaigalum, Priyanka Nalini Santhipum (The Rajiv Assassination: The Hidden Truths And The Meeting Between Priyanka And Nalini)

Autobiography recounting Nalini’s life, arrest, incarceration, meeting with Priyanka Gandhi and other personal details; published in 2016.

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. Topper among inmates in the IGNOU MCA examination (2009)
  2. Authored an over-500-page autobiography published in 2016
  3. Served 31 years in prison and was released following a Supreme Court order in November 2022
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nalini Sriharan (Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict) born?

1967

What is Nalini Sriharan (Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict) known for?

Former stenographer; later student (MCA) while incarcerated

What is Nalini Sriharan (Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Nalini Sriharan (Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Convict) married to?

Sriharan alias Murugan