29.6.2012 (UNI) President Pratibha Patil has commuted the death sentences of three prisoners lodged in the Central Prison here to life term.

According to prison authorities, the Presidential order followed after the prisoners - C Selvam, V Radhakrishnan and A Sheikh Meeran -- submitted mercy petitions a few years ago appealing to the President commute their death sentences.

A communication from the Tamil Nadu government on this was received yesterday by the central prison authorities.

The matter was then conveyed to the three prisoners.

The sources said the three prisoners should remain in the prison for the whole of their natural life. There shall be no remission of the term of imprisonment.

The trio were arrested and awarded death sentences for murdering Ayyavoo, described as a notorious gang leader, in the court hall in front of a Judicial Magistrate at Nagercoil in December 1994.

In all, seven accused were convicted in this case in 1998 by the Sessions Court, Nagercoil. Of them, Selvam, Radhakrishnan and Sheikh Meeran were sentenced to death.

The remaining were awarded life sentence. The death sentences were confirmed by the Madras High Court in April 1999. The Supreme Court dismissed the Special Leave Petitions in against the verdict in June 1999. UNI