The Supreme Court today deferred till March 26 the hearing on the Centre's plea against the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release seven prisoners convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam adjourned the case and posted it for final hearing on 26th of this month after the Centre sought time to file a rejoinder to state government's response.

Earlier, the apex court had restrained the state government from releasing the prisoners who were undergoing life sentence and directed it to maintain status quo. It had also directed the Tamil Nadu government not to release three convicts–Murugan, Santhan and Arivu- whose death sentence was commuted to life term by the Supreme Court on 18th of last month