40 years ago, October 3, 1986: Attempt on Rajiv Gandhi’s life

On October 3, 1986, an assassination attempt was narrowly averted against Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Rajghat, the site of his family's Samadhi. The attacker, who appeared at the entrance behind creepers covering a concrete canopy, unleashed two shots over a span of around 50 minutes. The gunman allegedly surrendered after the incident, but his true identity remained a mystery.

Initially, he claimed to be Manmohan Desai, a film producer from Mathura. However, investigators later found a slip in his pocket bearing the name Manmohan Desai, which turned out to be a reference to a Bombay film producer. Later still, he identified himself as Karamjit Singh from Sangrur, but investigators were still unable to confirm his real identity.

Despite the attempted attack, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi remained composed and did not alter his itinerary. He informed his colleagues and party members at the airport that "all is well" and proceeded to his scheduled flight to Nagpur. Political leaders, governors, and chief ministers strongly condemned the shooting, expressing relief that President Zail Singh, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and other VIPs were unharmed.