Rajiv Gandhi Death Anniversary 2023: Timeline of events that led to the assassination of India's youngest PM

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The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LLTE) assassinated Rajiv Gandhi, India's youngest prime minister, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991 when he was 40. Gandhi became only the second prime minister of India to pass away while in office. While she was in office, his mother, Indira Gandhi, was also killed. On October 31, 1984, her bodyguards killed her.

Rajiv Gandhi is the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, and the eldest son of Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi. He was married to Sonia Gandhi.

Also read: Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary: Interesting facts about the former Prime Minister

Rajiv graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in law and led a commercial pilot's licence. For his contributions to the country, he received the "Bharat Ratna" the most prestigious and highest civilian distinction. Rajiv was killed by the LTTE, an armed Tamil separatist organisation in Sri Lanka that was at war with the government of the island nation.

After Gandhi dispatched the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to the South Asian island with the intention of helping the country, the Tamilian minority turned against him. But as time went on, they began to play a more counter-insurgency role, and eventually a conflict with the LTTE broke out.

After the end of the IPKF mission in 1990, the LTTE group was not pleased as it saw Gandhi as their enemy. According to reports in 1990, Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of LTTE took the assassination decision the same year in November.

Rajiv went to attend a rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, around 10 pm. on May 21. Dhanu, the female suicide bomber, and other LTTE members were present at the rally.

Gandhi approached people, a female police officer stopped Dhanu from approaching him, But Gandhi told her not to do so, minutes later Dhanu blew herself up, killing the prime minister and 14 others.

Who were the assassins?

Dhanu was one among the LTTE's eight core members involved in Rajiv's assassination.

As per Minhaz Merchant's biography of Gandhi, 'Rajiv Gandhi, End of a Dream', the other members of the group were Murugan, Arivu, Shubha and three locals Nalini, Padma and Bhagyanath.

Only Nalini was found alive by the investigators.

Weeks later, Perarivalan, who was 19 at the time of the assassination was apprehended. He was accused of purchasing the bomb's batteries.

After serving 31 years in prison, India's top court ordered his release. According to A.G. Perarivalan's attorney, the Supreme Court used its exceptional powers to free him on Wednesday (May 18).