New Delhi, Feb 20  The Supreme Court Thursday ordered status quo and suspended the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam said it will examine the procedural lapse in the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to grant remission and release within three days the seven convicts in the case.

The court order came as Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran told the court that permission to free the convicts could not be granted without the approval of the central government whose investigating agency probed the matter leading to the convictions.

Noting the pace at which the events took place, the chief justice said the judgment was delivered Tuesday morning and the order was available at 5 p.m. the same day, and decision to grant remission was taken Wednesday morning.

The Tamil Nadu government while opposing the plea by the centre said the order of status quo will be premature and no final decision has been taken on the grant of remission to the seven convicts. The recommendation of the state government was before the centre, the Tamil Nadu government said.