COIMBATORE: A city-based truck driver has claimed that the suspected woman assassin of Rajiv Gandhi had travelled in his vehicle on May 20 evening just a day before the fatal blast which killed the former prime minister in Sriperumbudur on May 21.
Selvaraj who was returning to Coimbatore the same day after off-loading some goods at Nanjangud near Mysore in the southern Karnataka state had identified the woman from her photograph in the newspapers police said.
The woman who had sought a lift on the outskirts of Nanjangud town had after about 12 kms or 90 asked him to stop the vehicle on seeing a white ambassador car parked on the roadside police said. She got out and was seen engaged in conversation with two men seated in the car. After 10 minutes she returned and offered him Rs 20 which he refused to accept Selvaraj told the police. She later left in the car he said.
Selvaraj a president of Peelamedu area in the city’s out skins told the police that the woman had been carrying a bag and that there had been a revolver in it.
Police ‘sources quoting the driver said the woman had left her bag open in the truck when She went to talk to the men in the car.
COLOMBO: Members the special investigation team which arrived here Thursday for possible clues to the conspiracy behind the assassination of former premier Rajiv Gandhi Friday held discussions with senior Sri Lankan civil and military intelligence. The team led by CBI director Raja Vijay Karan met the Lankan defence secretary general Cyril Ranatunge Friday morning. Several senior Sri Lankan defence officials were present at the meeting a spokesman of the In A Sri Lankan military official said senior intelligence officials detectives and personnel connected with counter-insurgency and military operations against the LTTE in the Tamil-dominated north-east part of the country were having discussions with Indian officials.Though cadres of LTTE have denied involvement in the assassinations of Gandhi and Wijeratne the organization is the prime suspect in both cases.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 7, 1991
