In her petition, Nalini had said that she was entitled for release in 2005 itself as she had completed 14 years in jail.

In 2007, the state government had rejected her application for release and she had then filed a case in the Madras High Court in 2008.

The court directed the state government to reconsider her request for release by a validly constituted advisory board. As the government has not constituted the advisory board yet Nalini asked the court to form a board and to submit a report to the state.

This petition came up for hearing in the Madras High Court Monday and the court asked the state government to respond in two weeks' time and posted the next hearing for Oct 6.

Meanwhile, Nalini started her fast at the jail in Vellore, 130 km from Chennai.

Nalini's husband and co-convict Murugan is also serving his sentence in the same prison.