Rajiv Gandhi case: Centre files report in SC on probe into bomb making

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday filed a report in the Supreme Court on the investigation being carried out on the conspiracy aspect behind the making of the bomb that had killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 26 years ago.

The report was filed in a sealed cover before a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha, which fixed the matter for hearing on September 19. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh told the bench that they have filed a note as per the apex court's direction and it cannot be given to the petitioner.

“We have gone through the note,” the bench said. Advocate Gopal Shankarnarayanan, appearing for convict A G Perarivalan, contended that he had not said that the report should be given to him, but if the court permits, he would peruse the Centre's report in the court itself. The bench said it would hear the matter next Tuesday. The apex court had on August 17 asked the Centre and the CBI to apprise it of the probe being carried out on the conspiracy aspect behind the making of bomb after Perarivalan had claimed that this aspect was not being probed properly. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed.