Chennai:
Even as a child, Indira Gandhi knew exactly who she was named after. Her parents were both Congress workers. When Rajiv Gandhi arrived at Sriperumbudur in 1991 as part of his campaign, Indira was reportedly found at the blast site, along with her younger sister Muthamma and brother Kamaraj.
Indira, who was then around five years old, never saw her parents again. As the siblings grew up at Seva Samajam Children's home, a government aided children's home in Chennai, authorities broke the news that their parents were killed when a suicide bomber targeted Mr Gandhi. But on paper, Indira's parents were not among the 17 people, who were declared dead along with the former prime minister.
"My father's name was Arumugam and my mother's was Savithri. I remember people telling me my father was a Congress worker who used to erect polls and banners," says Indira.
Certificates issued by the authorities in the orphanage declare that Indira's parents were killed at Sriperumbudur. Seven such children who were brought to the same home were allegedly also orphaned by the blast that killed Mr Gandhi. Indira earned a diploma from a polytechnic and she is a civil engineer now. She had to discontinue her part time BE degree programme for want of money. Her younger sibling Muthamma is working in a private firm and alongside is pursuing her M Com as well by distance mode. But the children say they are not after jobs or compensation.
"It will be good if the truth is made clear....we don't want jobs or anything," clarified Muthamma.
K Ragothaman was the Chief Investigating Officer, as part of the CBI's special investigation team that probed the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case. Now retired and living in Chennai , he says there may well have been more people who died than official records show. "It's quite possible they were injured and got admitted without reporting. So we can't rule it out."
After Mr Gandhi was assassinated, around 50 people were rushed to hospitals around Sriperumbudur and Chennai. Only one of them died according to official records.