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For Nalini's child, infancy was behind bars

Destiny has willed that seven-year-old Sreeni alias Harithra, who was born when her parents -- Nalini and Murugan -- accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, were in custody, would have to live on with the anguish of losing them at the gallows once the death sentence against them is executed.

City-based Nalini, married to Murugan, a hardcore LTTE militant, was six months pregnant when she was arrested on June 14, 1991. She gave birth to Harithra in october when she was an undertrial in the high-security prison at suburban Poonamallee.

After a brief stay at the Government Hospital in Madras, where she gave birth to her daughter amidst tight security, Nalini was taken back to the prison with the new-born named Sreeni (combining a part of the names of her parents) and later Harithra. The child was brought up in the prison for two years.

Harithra used to accompany her parents to the designated court during the pre-trial proceedings and she was the centre of attraction among all the accused.

Unfortunately for the child, her maternal grandmother (Padma) and uncle (Bhagyanathan) were also accused in the case and were languishing in the same prison.

After the in-camera trial began, Nalini's sister, who is a nurse, was taking care of Harithra. A couple of years ago, the girl was taken to Australia where she now lives with her paternal grandmother.

UNI

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