This week (October 27-November 2) in crime history – Mob boss
John Gotti was born (October 27, 1940); Legendary Rock n’ Roll icon Chuck Berry
goes on trial for Mann Act violations (October 28, 1961); Dominick Dunne was
born (October 29, 1925); President William McKinley’s assassin was excecuted
(October 29, 1901); Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister if India was assassinated
(October 31, 1984); President Harry Truman escapes assassination attempt
(November 1, 1950); President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam was assassinated
(November 2, 1963).
Highlighted Crime of the Week –
On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of
India, was assassinated in New Delhi by two of her own bodyguards. Beant Singh
and Satwant Singh, both Sikhs, emptied their guns into Gandhi as she walked to
her office from an adjoining bungalow. Although the two assailants immediately
surrendered, they were both shot in a subsequent scuffle, and Beant died.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India,
attempted to forge a unified nation out of the many religious, ethnic, and
cultural factions that existed under British rule until 1949. His daughter,
Indira Gandhi (no relation to Mohandas Gandhi), rose to power in 1966, fighting
many of the same problems as her father had. Her own political career was a
roller coaster, from the highs following India's victory over Pakistan in 1971
to the lows of being thrown out of office in 1977 after declaring a state of
emergency in 1975, during which time she suspended civil liberties and jailed
her political opponents. Although many criticized her for being authoritarian,
the majority of the population supported her because of her extensive social
programs.
In 1980, Gandhi became prime minister again, enjoying
fairly widespread popularity. However, in June 1984, she ordered an army raid
on a Sikh temple in Punjab to flush out armed Sikh extremists, setting off a
series of death threats. Due to the fear of assassination, Beant Singh, her
longtime bodyguard, was to be transferred because he was a Sikh. However,
Gandhi personally rescinded the transfer order because she trusted him after
his many years of service. Obviously, this was a fatal mistake for both of
them. Satwant Singh, who survived to stand trial, was convicted in 1986 and
executed in 1989. Following Gandhi's assassination, riots broke out in New
Delhi. More than 1,000 innocent Sikhs were killed in indiscriminate attacks
over the course of two days. Gandhi's son, Rajiv, succeeded her as prime
minister.
Michael
Thomas Barry is a columnist for www.crimemagazine.com
and is the author of numerous books that include the award winning, Murder
and Mayhem 52 Crimes that Shocked Early California, 1849-1949 (2012,
Schiffer Publishing). The book was the WINNER of the 2012 International Book
Awards and a FINALIST in the 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards for True
Crime. Visit the author's website for more information: www.michaelthomasbarry.com.
The book can
be purchased from Amazon through the following link:
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