Gandhi and India President Unhurt in Assassination Try : 6 Others Shot; Gunman Hid in Gazebo at Shrine

NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi escaped an assassination attempt today when a man hiding atop a vine-covered gazebo fired a homemade pistol at him and President Zail Singh. Neither leader was injured.

Three civilians and three police officers were hit by pellets and suffered “minor and superficial” injuries, the government Press Information Bureau said.

“Everything is OK. There is nothing to tell,” Gandhi said on television shortly after the shooting. It occurred as he, his wife, Sonia, and Singh left a ceremony marking the 117th anniversary of the birth of Indian independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Officials initially differed over whether the gunman, who was arrested, intended to assassinate Gandhi and Singh or merely fired in the air. However, the Press Information Bureau later said in a statement that he “fired shots at the prime minister.”

Identity Unknown

The statement said the gunman first gave his name as that of a leading Indian movie producer, “but has changed his name several times” during questioning.

The attacker’s identity remained unknown. But in an apparent attempt to maintain calm, a police spokesman announced that he had no connection to Sikh extremists.

Rajiv Gandhi’s mother, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was shot and killed by Sikh bodyguards Oct. 31, 1984. Groups seeking autonomy or independence for Sikhs in Punjab state have threatened to kill Rajiv Gandhi, 42, and Singh, who is a Sikh.

Police said that questioning had disclosed no links between the gunman and any terrorist or underground organization. They said he wore an army uniform and was in his early 20s.

A government statement said he used a homemade pistol. He fired from behind thick vines on the gazebo, about 20 feet from Gandhi and Singh, police said, and surrendered without a struggle after police fired in the air.

Could Be ‘Mentally Deranged’

“It is possible that the man is mentally deranged, but this is something that can be established only after a thorough investigation,” said Rajendra Mohan, New Delhi police vice commissioner.

The Press Information Bureau said several New Delhi police officers directly responsible for security arrangements at the ceremony were suspended. It did not identify them.

But the Press Trust of India, an independent news agency, said one of them was Gautam Kaul, additional commissioner of police in charge of the prime minister’s security.

Police had not searched visitors attending the ceremony at the Rajghat, or State Memorial, where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.

Rajiv Gandhi, a former airline pilot, was appointed prime minister after his mother’s assassination and last year was elected to the office in a landslide victory.

However, his popularity has waned due to growing economic problems and the resurgence of Sikh unrest.