The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case was released on SonyLiv on July 4, 2025, and ever since then, fans have been lauding the makers for coming up with a 'binge-watch' worthy series. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, The Hunt - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is an adaptation from Anirudhya Mitra’s nonfiction book “Ninety Days”. The series revolves around the Special Investigation Team that was formed by the Government of India to investigate the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) at a place called Sriperumbudur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on May 21st, 1991. Rajiv Gandhi's assassination was orchestrated by Sivarasan aka 'One-Eyed Jack'.
Since you have landed on this page, True Scoop assumes that you have already watched the series and are wondering why there was a delay in nabbing Sivarasan. Below is all you need to know-
Did India have the opportunity to capture Sivarasan alive?
Well, the web series has showcased that the Indian forces had the opportunity to capture Sivarasan alive. When Sivarasan was located inside the house in the outskirts of Bengaluru along with other LTTE Operatives, the Police as well as NSG Commandos were present at the scene.
Despite SIT Chief D.R. Kaarthikeyan's discussion with Bengaluru Police Commissioner, the cops used to leak news to the media as well as not cooperate with the investigating team. Despite other members, especially CBI-SP Amit Verma, complaining about this, D.R. Kaarthikeyan did not pay attention to this.
Nevertheless, when the NSG commandos were asking for permission to capture Sivasaran alive, D.R. Kaarthikeyan's phone was not reachable for many hours. However, when D.R. Kaarthikeyan finally picked up the call, he informed that he is being sent to Hyderabad for an assignment. In the meantime, (then) CBI Director Vijay Karan will lead the mission. Hence, the NSG will only be given the go-ahead after Vijay Karan arrives at the spot.
Notably, the CBI Director arrived the next morning with a medical expert. The medical expert informed that the antidote for cyanide that NSG had had expired. Despite protests from NSG officers, the medical expert advised not to go ahead with the plan. The NSG officer requested Vijay Karan to give him only 30 seconds, and he would catch Sivasaran alive. However, Karan did not approve and ordered a new batch of antidote. The antidote was ordered from Gwalior, and it took many more hours.
Why was there a delay?
Well, the web series has multiple unanswered questions. For example, when P. V. Narasimha Rao came to power, he summoned CBI Director Vijay and SIT Chief D.R. Kaarthikeyan. Prime Minister Rao asked the SIT Chief why his team had made Sivarasan the face of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Rao advised that he should have made Prabhakaran, the LTTE Chief as the main culprit and not One-Eyed Jack.
What was eyebrow-raising was when Narsimha Rao asked CBI Director Vijay Karan to stop, as he would like to speak on this matter in private. Following the meeting with then PM, the web series showcased that both Vijay Karan and D.R. Kaarthikeyan underwent a shift in attitude.