Killers of Rajiv Gandhi - consolidated list with references

This is part of my Save Perarivalan series.

Who killed Rajiv Gandhi?... There are lots of theories about the killers. But, still Perarivalan and others are sentenced to capital punishment and few want them to be hanged. So, here is the consolidated list of Rajiv Gandhi killers--according to various theories:

Sonia Gandhi according to Subramanian Swamy. In his book Do You Know Your Sonia?, which is available online in Janata Party website, Subramanian Swamy alleges Sonia’s relationship with Madhavrao Scindia and LTTE.

Reference: Madhavrao’s friendship continued even after Sonia’s marriage to Rajiv...

My investigations into Sonia’s involvement in Rajiv’s assassination is therefore necessary. I am also author of a best seller titled Assassination Of Rajiv Gandhi—Unasked Questions and Unanswered Queries[published by Konark in 2000] in which I have given some indications of this possible conspiracy. -- Do You Know Your Sonia? - by Dr. Subramanian Swamy
However, Sleuth Without A Clue. Smug tales, half-arguments, insufficient evidence: it's not elementary, Dr Swamy. Outlook Magazine dated June 12, 2000 is highly critical of his book The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: Unanswered Questions and Unasked Queries with a note: This renders Swamy's every sentence suspect, and ensures that his book fails even as a murder mystery, providing no solutions.
Mossad of Israel according to T.N. Seshan. In Parliamentary discussions, Subramanian Swamy mentioned that "... Shri Seshan who had written a biography in which he said that he told me that it was not the LTTE which killed Rajiv Gandhi, but it was Mossad."

Reference: There is, of course, the great Shri Seshan who had written a biography in which he said that he told me that it was not the LTTE which killed Rajiv Gandhi, but it was Mossad...

I am not going to go out of this because this is such a serious matter. I will not go out of it. Shri Seshan wrote a biography in which he has said that I got angry because he suggested to me that it was Mossad which was responsible and not the LTTE. I immediately wrote a letter to the Commission asking them to call Shri Seshan for cross -examination. The Commission called me first for cross-examination and asked me. I told the truth and I would like to tell the truth here. Shri Seshan came to my house and said, "Mossad has killed Rajiv Gandhi and not LTTE." I asked him, "Are you in a shock or have you got any basis?" He said, "No, I can find the basis." I asked, "How?" He said, "You tell Shri Chandrashekhar to make me the Home Minister of India and I will find the basis." Shri Chandrashekhar is sitting here. He went and met Shri Chandrashekhar...(Interruptions)...I would not tell you what Shri Chandrashekhar told me after he heard Shri Seshan. But that was what he told me. What did the Commission say after the cross-examination of Shri Seshan?..(Interruptions)...Yes, I plead guilty and apologise to the House for appointing and inflicting Shri T.N. Seshan on the nation. -- Subramanian Swamy in Parliament of India
Mossad of Israel according to Ex-Cabinet secretary Zafar Saifullah. As informed to justice Jain for Jain Commission.

Reference: Mossad Missives. Ex-Cabinet secretary Zafar Saifullah told Jain of the Israel link. Outlook Magazine dated July 20, 1998
Godman Chandraswami (friend of Subramanian Swamy) through relations with the CIA, Mossad and the LTTE according to Ramesh Dalal, BJP activist.

Reference: Many witnesses have attested to the godman's dubious links with international agencies. Ramesh Dalal, BJP activist, deposed that he knew "Shri Chandraswami has relations with the CIA, Mossad and the LTTE. He took the help of these agencies in assassinating Rajiv Gandhi.... In the core group of Chandraswami, Rajendra Jain, Babloo Srivastava, K.N. Aggarwal, Subramanian Swamy, Chandra Shekhar, O.P. Chautala and Pinaki Misra were there. The people of this core group used to meet Chandraswami in his bedroom. Chandraswami told me he had been financing the LTTE..." -- Finally All Fingers Point To A Foreign Hand. The Jain Commission's final report focuses on a larger international conspiracy, and the CIA-Mossad-LTTE link, in the Rajiv killing. Outlook Magazine dated July 20, 1998
CIA/Mossad through LTTE according to Jain Commission report. Report is suggesting the role of LTTE.

Reference: Finally All Fingers Point To A Foreign Hand. The Jain Commission's final report focuses on a larger international conspiracy, and the CIA-Mossad-LTTE link, in the Rajiv killing. Outlook Magazine dated July 20, 1998
Subramanian Swamy according to Trichy Veluchamy (former Translator of Subramanian Swamy, currently with Congress party). According to Trichy Veluchamy, Subramanian Swamy told him that Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated--within few minutes of the incident--much before the news was spread and also Swamy didn’t book flight tickets as he had prior knowledge about the assassination.

Reference: Rajiv Gandhi assassination, conspiracy theories in English and subsequent links
Godman Chandraswami, Janata Party leader Dr Subramanian Swamy and former PM Chandra Shekhar may have had prior knowledge of a threat or link with the conspirators, as per Jain Commission's final report.

Reference: Finally All Fingers Point To A Foreign Hand. The Jain Commission's final report focuses on a larger international conspiracy, and the CIA-Mossad-LTTE link, in the Rajiv killing. Outlook Magazine dated July 20, 1998
Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman according to Karuna Amman. "Velupillai Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman hatched the diabolical plot to kill former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi "silently" without the knowledge of anyone in the outfit", as per Karuna Amman.

Reference: Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman hatched Rajiv killing plot: Karuna Amman. The Times of India, dated April 29, 2009
Inconclusive and Open-ended as per Jain Commission final report.

Reference: Finally All Fingers Point To A Foreign Hand. The Jain Commission's final report focuses on a larger international conspiracy, and the CIA-Mossad-LTTE link, in the Rajiv killing. Outlook Magazine dated July 20, 1998

Stampede and the "Dirty" "Dark" Crowd

Actor Ajith Kumar’s recent interview has sparked quite a few conversations on social media. The part that caught my attention, was his take on crowds. About 30 years ago, when I first joined a college in Madurai after growing up in other places, I experienced a few cultural shocks. Perhaps these weren’t unique to Madurai, but that’s where I first noticed them. One major thing that stood out was the behavior of crowds. For instance, if you suddenly see people rushing to board a bus, chances are there’s a pickpocket in action. During one of Madurai's annual festivals, I noticed some young men carrying water bags — not to distribute water, but to spill it on women, often on their chests. Shockingly, this was almost normalized; parents would quietly tolerate it to avoid public embarrassment, walking a little farther behind the crowd. When some women happened to witness this, they would just shoo the boys away instead of confronting them. The crowd, in such cases, became a kind of...