Mystery behind death of Lal Bahadur Shastri: An affair with fact and rumours

Lal Bahadur Shastri died allegedly due to a heart attack on January 11, 1966, in Tashkent, Russia. It was a big shock for the country and to date, many groups of diplomats, bureaucrats, and socio-political leaders believe that there was something wrong in the way it happened.

Even today, people continue to demand that the government should open up about what exactly happened with the former Indian Prime Minister.

From movies like 'Tashkent Files' to documentaries, many papers, and books have been written on this event as people continue to disbelieve that Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death was not natural.

It should be noted that India had signed a Peace Treaty with Pakistan during the War and had decided to hand over the captured territories of Pakistan. However, within 12 hours of signing this treaty, the Indian Prime Minister was found dead.

All the events surrounding the death seem suspicious and the more you dig into the events and the happenings around that time, the more confused you will become.

What Exactly Had Happened?

After Shastriji signed the Tashkent accord on January 10 at around 4 pm, he reached his villa provided to him by the Russian hosts. He took a light meal later in the evening prepared by Jan Mohammad who was the personal cook of the Indian ambassador to Moscow, TN Kaul.

He was also being served by other butlers in the same villa. Before sleeping at around 11.30 pm, Lal Bahadur Shastri consumed a glass of milk brought by Jan Mohammad. Immediately, afterwards, his staff took leave so that they could go to their quarters and sleep. At that time Lal Bahadur Shastri was perfectly fine.

Around 1.25 am Shastriji started coughing severely. Since the room did not have any intercom or phone he walked out and told his staff to call Dr RN Chugh who was his doctor on the trip. But by the time Chugh arrived, Shastriji was already dying and showed symptoms of a heart attack.

Immediately after that, the former Prime Minister breathed his last. Chugh kept on lamenting that he did not get enough time to save Shastriji.

Suspicious Events Followed Shastriji’s Death

The turn of events that followed his death was equally suspicious. The KGB who was in charge of Shastriji’s safety handcuffed the Russian butler Ahmed Sattarov and his three junior butlers who were attached to Shastriji.

During an interview later, Sattarov said that the KGB officer had told him that the Indian PM was poisoned and that when Jan Mohammad was called for interrogation, all of them thought that he was the culprit.

Nothing came out of this interrogation. And when Shastriji’s body was brought to India, it had turned blue and green. Looking at it, his mother cried saying that her son was poisoned.

Allegedly, there were cut marks on his abdomen and neck with blood oozing out of these wounds indicating that they were made when he was still alive. Even the sheets and clothes Shastriji had used were soaked in blood triggering suspicion that he did not die naturally.

More Surprises Followed...

- Despite all the evidence shouting that it was a foul play, no post-mortem was carried on his body.

- After a few months, Jan Mohammad got a job at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

- Dr. Chugh and his family were run down by a truck years later. Only his daughter survived but was crippled for life.