Among them, the cleric Chandraswami was suspected of involvement, including financing the assassination. Despite no action, the findings raised vital questions that have previously been consistently raised by political analysts. [1], Apart from the suicide bomber Kalaivani Rajaratnam (popularly known by her assumed names Thenmozhi Rajaratnam and Dhanu), several people were killed in the blast on 21 May 1991:[1][10][11], Around forty-three bystanders including police sub-inspector Anushiya Daisy were also injured in the explosion.[13]. Will be in Basel with Premier Research this week for the #DIA !! | Express photo, The India-brokered attempt peace was not to the liking of the Sinhalese as well the LTTE. In Image: Former Prime Ministers V P Singh and Rajiv Gandhi. Sources have indicated that Gandhi was repeatedly informed that there was a threat to his life and that he should not travel to Tamil Nadu. These instances had cause major embarrassment to CBI and the Indian government. The court convicted and sentenced the seven persons who facilitated the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi to life imprisonment. The release of the six convicts came months after the Supreme Court on May 18 ordered the release of AG Perarivalan, the first of the seven convicts in the case, on grounds of poor health and good conduct. Immediately after the assassination, the Chandrasekhar government handed the investigation over to the CBI on 22 May 1991. The Congress subsequently brought down the United Front (UF) government of I K Gujral after the report was leaked in November 1998. Vaiko left the UPA alliance before the 2009 election, partly due to the Sri Lankan issue. Very difficult. She argued that even life convicts were released after 14 years. The CBI says the designated TADA Court in Chennai awarded death sentences to all the 26 accused. From the IndiraGandhiInternationalAirport, his body was sent to the AllIndiaInstituteofMedicalSciences in NewDelhi for an autopsy, reconstruction and embalming.[16]. He allegedly was described as Prabhakaran's mentor; and he played a vital role in moulding the LTTE chief's thinking during the movement's formative years between 1972 and 1975 ; Thenmozhi Rajaratnam alias Dhanu killed him during a suicide bomb blast. 1,000 Here is a look back at the traumatic incident. Gandhi also defended the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord in the same interview. Indias premier investigative agency the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) just doesnt seem to get it right. The Narasimha Rao government initially rejected Verma's findings but later accepted it under pressure. she joined the Tamil Tigers movement in hopes of establishing the independent state of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka. Nalini was shifted back to Vellore prison from Puzhal prison amidst tight security on 7 September 2011. [21][22] She was inspired by the Tamil militant group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) at a young age, and joined the Black Tigers (suicide bombers). The views expressed in comments published on newindianexpress.com are those of the comment writers alone. ", Rudolph, Lloyd I. (@D.NO.1151of1998)", "RajivGandhiassassinationcase:tracingthetrial", "LegalluminariesdividedondeathverdictinRajivassassinationcase", India:ThePreventionofTerrorismBill. Thenmozhi Rajaratnam (1 January 1974-21 May 1991) was a female suicide bomber of the Tamil Tigers who killed Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991. Gandhi has only seconds to live as the suicide bomber Thenmozhi Rajaratnam approaches him while he engages local people in conversation at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu State. "There is evidence to show that, during this period, some of the most vital wireless messages were passed between the LTTE operatives based in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna. She argued that even life convicts were released after 14 years. A statefuneral was held for Rajiv Gandhi on 24 May 1991. [48] The interim report of the Jain Commission created a storm when it accused M. Karunanidhi the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu of a role in the assassination, leading to Congress withdrawing its support for the I. K. Gujral government and fresh elections in 1998. The first two levels were Quranic training. Rajiv, Begum and 15 others were killed. They are: As per the Supreme Court of India judgment, by Judge K. T. Thomas, the killing was carried out due to personal animosity of the LTTE chief Prabhakaran towards Rajiv Gandhi arising from his sending the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka and the alleged IPKF atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamils. She joined LTTE because her brother, who was also a cadre, died and she was carrying on the family tradition. In terms of competence, he said, "coercion brings the worst you have to offer"; in contrast, many of these women are -- like Dhanu -- highly capable. Legal experts were divided. These messages, which were decoded later, are directly related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi", the report stated. [citation needed], In the 2001 Norway peace talks, Prabhakaran told the press that the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was a sorrowful event. Marital status of Thenmozhi at the time of her death, is not known to the general public. Yet Ms Amos, the escapee profiled by the Times, said that seven of the 30 trainees in her group were avidly anticipating their suicide missions: "It was a direct path to heaven." At the time, India had just ended its involvement, through the Indian Peace Keeping Force, in the Sri Lankan Civil War. According to Mr Pape and his team, they are most prevalent in situations where a population feels that its homeland is being occupied by an invading force, usually of a different ethnicity or religion. Thought to have been a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers), her birth year has not been conclusively established, but research shows that she was still a minor at the time. [7] When Rajiv reached a campaign rally in Sriperumbudur, he left his car and began walking towards the dais where he was to deliver a speech. Thought to have been a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers), Rajaratnam was also known as Gayatri and Dhanu. However, no action was taken on the recommendations of the commission. Ms A. Athirai, an accused, was 17 years old when she was arrested. In 1991, she was sent to kill Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India in a suicide bombing in response to his deployment of Indian Army peacekeepers to the island during the Sri Lankan Civil War, heading to kill him at the village of Sriperumbudur (25 miles from Chennai) while he was at a rally. Do not interfere with our activities. "Killing Rajiv Gandhi: Dhanu's sacrificial metamorphosis in death. She was known to have been a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE). [26], The judgment further cited the death of Thileepan in a hunger strike and the suicide by 12 LTTE cadres in a vessel in October 1987. Kaarthikenyan, D. R., and Radhavinod Raju. In 2010, Nalini had moved the MadrasHighCourt seeking release as she had served more than 20 years in prison. The article explains the many ways in which female bombers have become "ideal weapons": "At security points run by men, they are often searched less thoroughly, if at all. (@ D.NO.1151 of 1998)", "Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: tracing the trial", "Legal luminaries divided on death verdict in Rajiv assassination case", India: The Prevention of Terrorism Bill. [2] At least 14 others, in addition to Rajiv Gandhi, were killed. About two hours after arriving in Madras (now Chennai), Gandhi was driven by motorcade in a white Ambassadorcar to Sriperumbudur, stopping along the way at a few other election campaigning venues. They are: On November 11, 2022, the Supreme Court of India ordered the release of six convicts in the 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, after the Tamil Nadu government controversially recommended their remission in March 2016. [2] At least 14 others, in addition to RajivGandhi, were killed. Subsequent accusations of conspiracy have been addressed by two commissions of inquiry and have brought down at least one national government, the government of Inder Kumar Gujral. In fact, the then governor of Tamil Nadu BhishmaNarainSingh, broke official protocol and twice warned Gandhi about the threat to his life if he visited the state. The Supreme Court held that the decision to eliminate Gandhi was precipitated by his interview to Sunday magazine (2128 August 1990), where he stated that he would send the IPKF to disarm the LTTE if he returned to power. The attack was carried by . But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. Nalini was treated as a class 'A' convict from 10 September 1999 till the privilege was withdrawn in May 2010 after a mobile phone was allegedly recovered from her cell during a surprise check. [38] The execution of the three convicts was scheduled for 9 September 2011. (Photos from the Jain Commission. Blakeslee, David S. "Politics and public goods in developing countries: Evidence from the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.". | Express Photo, Seventy-year-old Anandraj, a Dravida Kazhagam activist, in whose house at Anna Nagar in Naavalpattu, the LTTE hardcore militant Santhan committed suicide by consuming cyanide. Supreme Court judgment Mr Pape adds that relatively small organisations such as the Tigers and Chechen rebels deployed a large number of female bombers -- more than could have been controlled through sustained coercion alone. We have created a browser extension. Advertise With Us | The CBI spokesperson did not respond to text messages and email sent by DNA requesting the agency for its reaction on the goof-up. However, the court confirmed that the death sentence was given to only four of the convicts, including Nalini, on 11 May 1999. "There is evidence to show that, during this period, some of the most vital wireless messages were passed between the LTTE operatives based in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna. in. Moderate. However, the MadrasHighCourt intervened and stayed their execution for eight weeks based on their petitions. Thenmozhi was the daughter of a Sri Lankan Tamil man named A. Rajaratnam and his second wife. The SIT probe confirmed the role of the LTTE in the assassination,[19] which was upheld by the Supreme Court of India. Under the TADA an accused can appeal only to the Supreme Court. While, Wazhul Kamar Khan, was also shown as wanted in the 2003 Mulund train bomb blast case, whereas he was residing in Thane with his family. After having goofed up on the 50 most wanted list earlier this year, the agency has scored another major blooper. Nalini was . Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks. On 29 July 1987, the extremist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam entered into a peace agreement with the Sri Lankan government that was brokered by India. [37] The execution of the three convicts was scheduled for 9 September 2011. [17] He was cremated on the banks of the river Yamuna, near the cremation spot of his mother, brother and grandfather. The special investigation team of India's premier special investigation agency Central Bureau of Investigation was not able to pinpoint when the decision to kill Rajiv Gandhi was taken.[29]. The move was to tackle LTTEs dream of a sovereign Tamil Eelam, which was a threat to India's 'unity, national interest and territorial integrity'. The assassin, Kalaivani Rajaratnam, approached and greeted him. The release of the six convicts came months after the Supreme Court on May 18 ordered the release of AG Perarivalan, the first of the seven convicts in the case, on grounds of poor health and good conduct. [32] Human rights groups protested that the trial did not meet the standards of a free trial. The report also alleged that LTTE leaders in Jaffna were in possession of sensitive coded messages exchanged between the Union government and the state government of DMK. However, no action was taken on the recommendations of the commission. In the Rajiv Gandhi case, confessions by the accused formed a major part of the evidence in the judgment against them which they later claimed was taken under duress. Marital status of Thenmozhi at the time of her death, is not . Nalini, who is the wife of an LTTE operative known as V Sriharan alias Murugan, another convict in the case who had been sentenced to death, later gave birth to a girl, Harithra Murugan in prison. Karthikeyan. 3 /5. All rights reserved. The LTTE decision to kill him was perhaps aimed at preventing him from coming to power again. Under TADA the accused could be convicted on the basis of evidence that would have been insufficient for conviction by an ordinary court under normal Indian law. [34] Confessions given by the accused to the Superintendent of Police are taken as evidence against the accused under TADA. [20], The interim report of Justice MilapChandJain, looking into the conspiracy angle to the assassination, indicted the DMK for colluding with the LTTE. If you continue to interfere, your comrade Parasuraman of Ambattur who sneaked to the police about our presence there, will not be alive", In a 2011 interview, Kumaran Pathmanathan, who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. [8] Gandhi, his assassin and 14 others were killed in the explosion that followed, along with 43 others who were grievously injured. Since that terrible day, women are known to have carried out at least 185 suicide attacks, killing 2,130 people and wounding nearly 5,000 others. On 28 January 1998, the designated TADA court in Chennai gave death sentences to all the 26 accused. Jayakumar - The brother in law of Robert Pious. From the Indira Gandhi International Airport, his body was sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi for an autopsy, reconstruction and embalming.[16]. | AFP, The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) contingent that was set to sail off for home from Trincomalee on 29 November 1989, is seen arriving on board M V Akbar. She bent down on the pretext to touch Rajiv Gandhi's speech and instead detonated an RDX explosive belt tucked under her dress, killing her, Rajiv Gandhi, and 14 others. (Express Photo) The Election Commission (EC) is expected to spend a week considering an 11-billion-baht subsidy on household electricity bills proposed by the government, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said. She was born on 1 January 1974 in Sri Lanka. (2 votes) Very easy. In 2010, Nalini had moved the Madras High Court seeking release as she had served more than 20 years in prison. SubramanianSwamy said in his book, Sri Lanka in Crisis: India's Options (2007), that an LTTE delegation had met Rajiv Gandhi on 5 March 1991. | Express Photo, Though the Indian Peace Keeping Force was not intended to get involved in major operations, but it ended up fighting large-scale military battles against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Thus the rise in attacks by Boko Haram -- the Times reported that the group has used at least 105 women and girls in attacks over the last 22 months -- should be no surprise. #shorts, Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case ? Harithra Murugan, daughter of Nalini Sriharan and Murugan interview, Template:Sri Lankan Civil War graphical timeline, https://en.bharatpedia.org/index.php?title=Assassination_of_Rajiv_Gandhi&oldid=375996, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, Kalaivani Rajaratnam (popularly known by her assumed names Thenmozhi Rajaratnam and Dhanu), Shivarasan alias Raghuvaran or Raghu-anna, Planning and executing the plot of the assassination, Standby to accompany the human bomb she was also the back-up bomber, K.S Mohammed Iqbal, police superintendent, Latha Kannan, Mahila Congress worker, who was with her daughter Kokilavani, Kokilavani, ten-year-old daughter of Latha Kannan, who sang a poem to, Darryl Jude Peters, attendee and observer, Munuswamy, former member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council, Saroja Devi, seventeen-year-old college student, Pradeep K Gupta, personal security officer of Rajiv Gandhi. Nalini is a citizen of India. The list of 50 most wanted men from India, which was given to Pakistan in March, had names of two men who were actually in India and not in Pakistan. "There is evidence to show that, during this period, some of the most vital wireless messages were passed between the LTTE operatives based in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna. On a list of history's most notorious assassins, alongside John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald and Gavrilo Princip, the name Thenmozhi Rajaratnam would probably draw mostly blank stares. "They told us if we came upon a group of 10 to 20 people to press this," she said, speaking of a detonator. | Express Photo, Samdani Begam with Rajiv Gandhi moments before the assassination at Sriperumbudur. But by all accounts they appear to be just as committed as male rebels to freeing their homeland from what they see as foreign subjugation. Thirumavalavan with VCK have supported Congress under Sonia Gandhi in the past. [30][31] This created a storm in India. Appeal to the High Court is not allowed as in normal law. Pronunciation of Thenmozhi Rajaratnam with 2 audio pronunciations. While convicting the accused, four of them to death and others to various jail terms, the judgment stated that no evidence existed that any one of the conspirators ever desired the death of any Indian other than Rajiv Gandhi, though several others were killed. Santhan alias T. Suthenthiraraja - A Sri Lankan national. Ms Amos said she never learned what took place there. The agency, while patting its own back on investigation into the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, has said Thenmozhi Rajaratnam alias Dhanu of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was sentenced to death by the trial court as well as the Supreme Court. [1] She was born on 1 January 1974 in Sri Lanka. If you continue to interfere, your comrade Parasuraman of Ambattur who sneaked to the police about our presence there, will not be alive", In a 2011 interview, KumaranPathmanathan, who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. [33] The trial was held behind closed doors, in camera, and the identity of witnesses was not disclosed. in. Thomas had said that "there were serious flaws" in the CBI's investigation, particularly related to the seizure of Rs. [45][46][47] One of the accused, Ranganath, said Chandraswami was the godfather who financed the killing. Last Updated: 21st May 2020 11:22 AM. [5][6], Rajiv Gandhi was busy election-campaigning with G.K.Moopanar in southern states of India. Difficult. The final report, submitted in June 1992, concluded that the security arrangements for the former PM were adequate but that the local Congress party leaders disrupted and broke these arrangements.[14]. If you continue to interfere, your comrade Parasuraman of Ambattur who sneaked to the police about our presence there, will not be alive", In a 2011 interview, Kumaran Pathmanathan, who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The agency created a special investigation team under D. R. Karthikeyan[18] to determine who was responsible for the assassination. The Commission report stated that the year 1989 signified "the perpetuation of the general political trend of indulging the Tamil militants on Indian soil and tolerance of their wide-ranging criminal and anti-national activities". Ms A. Athirai, an accused, was 17 years old when she was arrested. [25] Additionally, the Rajiv Gandhi administration had antagonised other Tamil militant organisations like PLOTE for reversingthemilitarycoup in Maldives back in 1988. | Express Photo, In this picture the body of Sivarasan, the mastermind in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, can be seen after he committed suicide by shooting himself on the outskirts of Bangalore city | PTI Photo, This was the hideout of the Rajiv Gandhi murder accused | Express Photo, A G Perarivalan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is seen. [27][28] Judge Thomas further stated that conspiracy was hatched in stages commencing from 1987 and that it spanned several years. Another delegation met him around 14 March 1991 in New Delhi. These messages, which were decoded later, are directly related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi", the report stated. "Killing Rajiv Gandhi: Dhanu's sacrificial metamorphosis in death. [34], On appeal to the Supreme Court, only four of the accused were sentenced to death and the others to various jail terms. Template:Sri Lankan Civil War graphical timeline, Coordinates: 125737N 795643E / 12.9602N 79.9452E / 12.9602; 79.9452, Please select an option below or scan the QR code to donate [48] The interim report of the JainCommission created a storm when it accused M.Karunanidhi the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu of a role in the assassination, leading to Congress withdrawing its support for the I.K.Gujral government and fresh elections in 1998. Under the TADA an accused can appeal only to the Supreme Court. [53], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}125737N 795643E / 12.9602N 79.9452E / 12.9602; 79.9452. Subsequent accusations of conspiracy have been addressed by two commissions of inquiry and have brought down at least one national government, the government of InderKumarGujral. [3] It was carried out by 17-year-old Kalaivani Rajaratnam (popularly known by her assumed names Thenmozhi Rajaratnam and Dhanu),[1][4] a member of the Sri Lankan Tamil separatist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). [1] He allegedly was described as Velupillai Prabhakaran's mentor; and he played a vital role in moulding the LTTE chief's thinking during the movement's formative years between 1972 and 1975. Among them, the cleric Chandraswami was suspected of involvement, including financing the assassination. She then bent down to touch his feet and detonated an RDX explosive-laden belt tucked below her dress at exactly 10:10 PM. Harithra Murugan, daughter of Nalini Sriharan and Murugan interview, Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, Chandrika Kumaratunga assassination attempt, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Assassination_of_Rajiv_Gandhi&oldid=1152349203, Attacks on civilians attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, People killed during the Sri Lankan Civil War, Articles with dead external links from October 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, Articles needing additional references from May 2021, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Kalaivani Rajaratnam (popularly known by her assumed names Thenmozhi Rajaratnam and Dhanu), Shivarasan alias Raghuvaran or Raghu-anna, Planning and executing the plot of the assassination, Standby to accompany the human bomb she was also the back-up bomber, K.S Mohammed Iqbal, police superintendent, Latha Kannan, Mahila Congress worker, who was with her daughter Kokilavani, Kokilavani, ten-year-old daughter of Latha Kannan, who sang a poem to, Darryl Jude Peters, attendee and observer, Munuswamy, former member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council, Saroja Devi, seventeen-year-old college student, Pradeep K Gupta, personal security officer of Rajiv Gandhi. "Why Rajiv Gandhi's Death Saved the Congress: How an Event Affected the Outcome of the 1991 Election in India." They have also been far more deadly, killing an average of 21 people per attack in the first decade of their insurgency, compared to 13 for males. Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, nickname Dhanu, a Tamil from southern India, killed Rajiv Gandhi, herself and 14 innocent people with a suicide bomb on May 12, 1991. [20], The interim report of Justice Milap Chand Jain, looking into the conspiracy angle to the assassination, indicted the DMK for colluding with the LTTE. As many as 14 others were killed and over 40 others injured in the blast. [56], In 2016, solid evidence of the involvement of Dr Jagjit Singh Chohan and Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala were given. Past abuses revisited | Amnesty International, "In the Supreme Court of India Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction", "I regret Rajiv Gandhi's assassination: Nalini", "My sins washed away, says Nalini Sriharan", "Rajiv Gandhi assassin Nalini Sriharan not to be freed", "Rajiv Gandhi's assassin Nalini gets back 'A' class jail facilities", "Rajiv Gandhi's killer Nalini breaks down", "Nalini shifted from Vellore jail to Puzhal", "After 19 yrs in jail for Rajiv murder, Nalini may be freed", "Probe Chandraswami's role in Rajiv case - Jain report", "CBI sees godman's role in Rajiv's killing", "IB hid crucial video on Rajiv Gandhi murder: Book", "Top LTTE leader apologizes to India for Rajiv's killing", "Rajiv Gandhi assassination video suppressed, claims book", "LTTE's messages show why Gandhi's murder should be re-probed (Part-1)". Thereafter, the Justice J. S. Verma Commission was formed to look into the security lapses that contributed to the killing. Arrested on 14 June 1991, she was sentenced to death, along with the other 25 accused. S Nalini Sriharan is the lone surviving member of the five-member squad behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and is serving life imprisonment. Past abuses revisited | Amnesty International, "In the Supreme Court of India Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction", "I regret Rajiv Gandhi's assassination: Nalini", "My sins washed away, says Nalini Sriharan", "Rajiv Gandhi assassin Nalini Sriharan not to be freed", "Rajiv Gandhi's assassin Nalini gets back 'A' class jail facilities", "Rajiv Gandhi's killer Nalini breaks down", "Nalini shifted from Vellore jail to Puzhal", "After 19 yrs in jail for Rajiv murder, Nalini may be freed", "Probe Chandraswami's role in Rajiv case - Jain report", "CBI sees godman's role in Rajiv's killing", "IB hid crucial video on Rajiv Gandhi murder: Book", "Top LTTE leader apologizes to India for Rajiv's killing", "Rajiv Gandhi assassination video suppressed, claims book", "LTTE's messages show why Gandhi's murder should be re-probed (Part-1)". The weblink titled Rajiv Gandhi assassination case has been recently put up by the agency on its web portal www.cbi.nic.in. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. It is part of CBI archives. And like the men who take that path, many of the women choose it for themselves. Another delegation met him around 14 March 1991 in New Delhi. The Commission report stated that the year 1989 signified "the perpetuation of the general political trend of indulging the Tamil militants on Indian soil and tolerance of their wide-ranging criminal and anti-national activities". According to the University of Chicago's Project on Security and Terrorism, a vast majority have been related to five conflicts: the Sri Lankan civil war that ended in 2009; the fight against the Russian military in Chechnya; the insurgency following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and, most recently, the Boko Haram terrorist movement in West Africa. The Narasimha Rao government initially rejected Verma's findings but later accepted it under pressure. About two hours after arriving in Madras (now Chennai), Gandhi was driven by motorcade in a white Ambassador car to Sriperumbudur, stopping along the way at a few other election campaigning venues. Do not interfere with our activities. Thomas had said that "there were serious flaws" in the CBI's investigation, particularly related to the seizure of Rs. Legal experts were divided. Evidence was gathered from charred flesh and bones found at the site of the explosion. New Delhi: The former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21 in 1991 by a suicide bomber in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. Along the way, he was garlanded by many well-wishers, IndianNationalCongress workers and school children. Kaarthikenyan, D. R., and Radhavinod Raju. The assassin, Dhanu (Thenmozhi Rajaratnam), approached and greeted him. However, no action was taken on the recommendations of the commission. thenmozhi rajaratnam daughter. In the Rajiv Gandhi case, confessions by the accused formed a major part of the evidence in the judgment against them which they later claimed was taken under duress. 40 lakh in cash from the convicts, which led him to believe that the probe exposed "an unpardonable flaw" in the "Indian criminal justice system". [29][30] This created a storm in India. But in the world of female suicide terrorism, it is increasingly clear that coercion is not the norm. The assassination was caught on film by a local photographer, Haribabu,[9] whose camera and film was found intact at the site despite him also dying in the blast. Thirumavalavan with VCK have supported Congress under Sonia Gandhi in the past. The agency created a special investigation team under D. R. Karthikeyan[18] to determine who was responsible for the assassination. Santhan alias T. Suthenthiraraja - A Sri Lankan national. Under TADA the accused could be convicted on the basis of evidence that would have been insufficient for conviction by an ordinary court under normal Indian law.