To achieve inner peace, Rajiv Gandhi murder convict observes vow of silence

Vellore: Forty-eight-year-old V Sriharan, alias Murugan, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has embraced 'silence' to seek inner peace. He has been observ ing an indefi nite 'mouna viratham' to keep himself calm and composed at the Vellore Central Prison where he is lodged.
On Sunday, the viratham entered the 13th day . Clad in saffron-coloured dhoti and sporting a beard, Murugan has been communicating to others through writing."He prefers to remain silent to avoid talking to certain persons in the prison," a senior prison department official in the central prison told TOI.
For him, silence is the best medicine, said Murugan's counsel P Pugalenthi. "Murugan is not certain about the number of days that he is going to continue the viratham," said the advocate and added that he has also stopped consuming the food served by the prison department. Instead, he has been taking fruits, mostly bananas, brought by his visitors.
Even during the regular fortnightly meetings with his wife at the Special Prison for Women, where Nalini is lodged, Murugan sticks to his vow not to talk but writes down what he wants to say .
Unlike fellow convict A G Perarivalan, an atheist, Murugan is an ardent devotee of Lord Murugan.
Perarivalan undergoes medical check-up
Vellore: A G Perarivalan, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, underwent a medical check-up at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital on Monday.According to the hospital authorities, Perarivalan had come to the hospital for general check the department of urology and orthopedics.He was taken to the hospital amidst tight security around 8.30am and returned to the prison around noon. His last medical check-up was on February