How Was Indira Gandhi Killed? Recalling The Assassination Of India’s First Female Prime Minister

On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi, widely known as the “Iron Lady of India,” was assassinated by two of her bodyguards. Just a day before her death, while addressing a public gathering in Bhubaneswar, she had set aside her prepared speech and prophetically remarked on the possibility of a violent end, saying, “I am here today, I may not be here tomorrow.”

She expressed pride in dedicating her life to serving her people and appeared indifferent to the risks.

That night, after returning to New Delhi, Indira Gandhi had a restless night, staying awake until 4 a.m. Her daughter-in-law, Sonia Gandhi, mentioned in her book Rajiv that Indira was up late, searching for her asthma medication and had asked Sonia to call if needed.

The following day was packed with engagements. She was set to appear in a documentary by filmmaker Peter Ustinov and later meet James Callaghan, former British Prime Minister. In the evening, she planned to host a dinner for Princess Anne.

How Was Indira Gandhi Killed?

By 7:30 a.m., she was ready for the documentary interview, dressed in a saffron saree with a black border. After breakfast, her routine morning health check was performed by Dr. KP Mathur, and she headed out to meet Ustinov at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At 9:10 a.m., as she walked to the office, accompanied by her aide RK Dhawan and guards, bodyguard Beant Singh suddenly fired at her, hitting her abdomen and chest.

Another guard, Satwant Singh, joined in, emptying his carbine at her, while Rameshwar Dayal, another staff member, was also injured.

The Final Moments

Her team rushed her to AIIMS, where they worked for nearly five hours and administered 80 units of blood in an attempt to save her. Despite their efforts, Indira Gandhi was declared dead at 2:23 p.m.

News of her death was kept from the public temporarily but was eventually reported by BBC Radio, spreading shock and sorrow worldwide.