Assassination

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 21 May 1991 in a village called Sriperambudur, about 50 km from Chennai. He went there on a public meeting while campaigning for the Congress candidate for the Sriperambudur Lok Sabha constituency. He was approached by a lady later identified as Thenmozhi Rajaratnam at 10:10 p.m. in the public gathering. When she bent down as if to touch Rajiv Gandhis feet, she detonated an explosive that was attached to a belt tucked under her dress. Rajiv Gandhi, the assassin, and 25 others were killed in the blast. His mutilated body was taken to New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences for postmortem and reconstruction. His funeral on 24 May 1991 was attended by dignitaries of over sixty countries and was telecast live. The site of his cremation is now known as Vir Bhumi.