Reflecting on the Tragic Night of Rajiv Gandhi's Assassination

A Personal Account of a Historic Tragedy

Watching 'The Hunt' on SonyLiv, which chronicles the police pursuit of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins, brought back vivid memories of that tragic night on May 21, 1991.

Having witnessed the horrific murder of Rajiv Gandhi and fifteen others firsthand, I found myself reflecting on the events of that day.

Four of us set off for Sriperumbudur after a quick meal at the Woodlands Drive-in restaurant. My former colleague K. N. Arun, who was then with Sunday Mail, arranged for an Ambassador car. Along with him were Bhagwan Singh from Sunday magazine, K.T. Jagannathan from Business Standard, and I, representing The Telegraph. This was Rajiv Gandhi's inaugural campaign for the 1991 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

After Sriperumbudur, he was scheduled to address a meeting at Krishnagiri alongside AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, and later campaign for Mani Shankar Aiyar at Mayiladuthurai and P. Chidambaram at Sivaganga the following day. None of us could have anticipated that this would mark Rajiv Gandhi's final public appearance.

We arrived at the venue well ahead of time, around 6 PM, as the meeting was set for 8 PM. The location was a dry lake bed with only a few policemen present. Spotting R.K. Raghavan, who would later become the CBI Director and was the designated IG in charge of security, we approached him for a conversation.

Raghavan informed us that Rajiv's flight from Visakhapatnam had been delayed, which would push the meeting back (unlike the strict time limits of today). As we discussed election-related violence, Raghavan highlighted the unrest in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, contrasting it with the peaceful campaign in Tamil Nadu. Little did he know that he would soon witness the most horrific election-related violence under his watch.

With the meeting delayed, we decided to have an early dinner at a nearby restaurant before returning to the venue. It was then that Bhagwan Singh noticed Hari Babu, a photographer for Subha News Agency. When Bhagwan inquired if he was with any other reporters, Hari Babu innocently pointed to a bespectacled man in a kurta, who quickly slipped away. It would later be revealed that this man was Sivarasan, the infamous mastermind behind the assassination plot.

We then spoke with Latha Priyakumar, daughter of Maragatham Chandrasekhar, the Congress candidate for Sriperumbudur. Latha, who was contesting from the nearby Arakonam Assembly seat, expressed confidence in both her and her mother's electoral chances. She informed us that Rajiv Gandhi had arrived in Chennai and was on his way to the venue.

We wandered away from the jute-carpeted path leading to the dais and made our way to the press enclosure in front of the stage. While listening to a musical performance by Shankar-Ganesh, we heard firecrackers around 10 PM, signaling Rajiv Gandhi's arrival. Soon, we saw Vazhapadi Ramamurthy, the TNCC President, rushing to the stage to announce that Rajiv Gandhi had arrived after garlanding the Indira Gandhi statue on the highway.

As he called out Rajiv Gandhi's name, inviting the crowd's 'Vaazhga' chorus, the unthinkable happened.

A sudden loud explosion was followed by a bright fireball to our right. Silence was quickly replaced by chaos. Bhagwan and I sensed something was wrong and rushed towards the source of the commotion. Women cadres were screaming and fleeing in the opposite direction. I spotted Hari Babu lying motionless, his camera resting on his chest.

I approached a woman nearby and asked, 'Where is Rajiv?' She pointed to the remains of our tall, handsome leader and began to sob. Another state leader, G.K. Moopanar, who had been lighting a cigarette behind the stage, came running, his voice rising in panic as he asked the same question – where was our leader?

As I pointed out Rajiv's remains to Bhagwan and Jagannathan, it became evident that Rajiv had been killed, and the shock began to settle in. Bhagwan urged us to leave immediately, and I started searching for Arun, but he was lost in the chaos. Without waiting for him, we hurried to our car and instructed the driver to speed away.

As we passed the Indira Gandhi statue, news of the incident had spread, and stones began to fly. Our driver skillfully maneuvered to avoid them, and as we sped down the highway, he asked, 'What was that loud noise? Is Rajiv Gandhi okay?' Without fully grasping the situation, Bhagwan exclaimed, 'There was a bomb blast, and Rajiv Gandhi has been killed.'

Upon hearing this, the stunned driver froze at the wheel, pressing down on the accelerator. The car surged forward. Bhagwan reassured the driver to stop. After a brief pause, the driver regained his composure, and our journey back to Bhagwan's house in KK Nagar was uneventful. There, Bhagwan confirmed the news through his contacts in state intelligence, and we took turns filing our reports over the phone.

Meanwhile, I saw Ramamurthy rushing down from the dais, shouting, 'Thalaaivar Engey?' (Where is the leader?). Raghavan was extinguishing a small fire on the jute carpet. Then, a loud scream pierced the air as a distraught Jayanthi Natarajan, then a Rajya Sabha member, cried out, 'He is here.' She pointed to a leg lying at an odd angle, still clad in Rajiv Gandhi's distinctive white Lotto shoes. Reliving this horror, GC Shekhar, known for his wit and sharp commentary, recounts the night of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

That night, I decided to stay at Bhagwan's house. As I took off my shoes, I couldn't help but notice the Lotto logo and reflect on the fact that I was likely the only other person wearing Lotto shoes on that dreadful night.

Note: It was only through Bhagwan Singh's testimony that the CBI could establish the connection between Hari Babu and Sivarasan, revealing the latter's role in the assassination. Both Bhagwan and Shekhar served as witnesses for the prosecution during the trial.