Tamil Nadu law minister Durai Murugan told the state assembly on Friday that Nalini Murugan, serving a life term in the Vellore special prison for women in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, had made eight calls to the United Kingdom from the mobile found in her prison cell.
“The state police’s Q branch is investigating the case. We have filed a fresh case against Nalini for possessing an active mobile in jail. From preliminary investigations, it has been revealed that Nalini spoke eight times to UK, once to Sri Lanka and made 22 local calls, including five to Chennai,” Durai said.
“The Q branch is thoroughly investigating the numbers and will soon identify the people with whom she spoke,” Murugan stated.
The SIM card used is reported to have been bought from the neighbouring twin town of Katpadi in March 2009.
Jail authorities are baffled as the mobile charger has not been recovered from Nalini. Some jail officials are suspected to have connived with Nalini to help her charge the mobile.
Though Nalini has claimed through her lawyer that she is being framed by the police, the Tamil Nadu government investigation seems to be making out a strong case against her.
Nalini has petitioned the Madras high court for premature release as she has completed more than the mandatory 14 years as a life term convict.
The mobile phone twist is expected to make her case for release weak. Nalini has been accused of trying to flush the mobile down the toilet on seeing the jail authorities.
Meanwhile, Nalini will file a petition in the Madras high court, seeking a transfer to the Puzhal central jail, on the outskirts of Chennai.
“Nalini has submitted a letter to the additional director general of police on April 8, seeking a transfer to Puzhal. In the letter submitted through the jail superintendent, she has stated that her mother, father-in-law, brother and sister-in-law are based in Chennai. If shifted to Puzhal, it will be convenient for them to visit her at least once a week,” her lawyer M Radhakrishnan told DNA on Friday.
“Nalini also said the atmosphere at the special prison for women was not conducive for her.”
