The Madras high court on Wednesday directed the central government to issue an entry permit to Megara, daughter of Nalini, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case, to enable her to come to India.

Allowing an appeal, filed by Nalini, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice K Chandru, directed the Centre to issue the entry permit within four weeks.

"Under Section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1995, the appellant's daughter, as a citizen of India, is entitled to enter the country," they said.

The 14-year-old Megara is the daughter of Nalini and Sriharan alias Murugan, who is among those awarded death sentence in the assassination case.

On December 20, the high court had admitted an appeal by Nalini for a direction to the authorities concerned to issue a visa for her daughter to come to India. The appeal was against Justice Prabha Sridevan's October 31 order turning down the plea to grant a visa to Megara to study in India.

Megara, who was born in the Vellore prison on January 21, 1992 was taken to Sri Lanka, after her parents were convicted and awarded the death penalty in the assassination case in January 1998.

Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life on the intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.