Ex-CBI officer who probed Rajiv Gandhi assassination case succumbs to COVID

Former CBI officer K Ragothaman,who was the Chief Investigating Officer in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, died here on Wednesday, police and hospital sources said.

The 76 year-old veteran, a former superintendent of police in the premier central investigating agency, was admitted to a private hospital here last week for treatment for Covid-19 and breathed his last this morning, hospital sources said.

According to Dr Shanmugavel, his son-in-law,Ragothaman’s mortal remains will be taken to their native Ulundurpet in Villupuram district for the last rites.

Ragothaman was the CIO in the CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the killing of former Prime Minister Gandhi on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur, during an election rally, by a female LTTE suicide bomber.

He had penned a few books, including on Gandhi’s sensational killing. He also produced a documentary titled Human Bomb.

In his near four decade career in the CBI, the former SP who also handled many other cases, was, however, said to be involved in the high profile Rajiv Gandhi assassination case for about 10 years.

Seven persons – Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar,Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini were convicted and sentenced to death in the case.

However, the death sentence of all seven was later commuted to life terms.