New probe into Gandhi’s assassination
Almost after seven decades of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, a fresh investigation has been ordered to unearth the fate of three accused listed as "absconders" in the 1948 murder trial.
The order has come from the Central Information Commission, India’s transparency regulator, on an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act "to see the record containing the details about efforts of Delhi Police to apprehend these three accused persons and reasons for not arresting them
In a directive to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Home Ministry, Delhi Police, as also the Archeological Survey of India that maintains the classified documents, the CIC has sought information on the absconders, namely Gangadhar Dandavate, Gangadhar Jadhav and Suryadeo Sharma, specially the efforts made to trace them.
They were among 12 made accused in the assassination case, including Nathuram Godse and V D Svarkar, and nine of them were either punished or released. These three were declared as absconders and their whereabouts remain shrouded in mystery. They were involved in the transactions through which Nathuram Godse got the Beretta pistol used in the assassination.
The CIC also wanted declassification of the official documents relating Mahatma Gandhi on the same lines on which Prime Minister Modi decided in January last year to declassify 100 secret files pertaining to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and then release 25 declassified files every month.
Hailing it as a significant step towards transparency on history of the national heroes, the CIC said: "Similarly, the Prime Minister needs to place the official documents, declassifying them, if necessary, regarding Gandhi."
Mahatma Gandhi’s greatgrandson Tushar Arun Gandhi, is not enthusiastic on fresh investigation yielding anything since he said probably none of the three may be still alive. He, however, recalled a strange incident that the day after the Punjab High Court upheld the sentences, it was announced in Gwalior that all the three absconders were arrested but then it was decided that there was no further need of them and they were allowed to let go. He said there is no record why the three were not nailed.
He also welcomed the CIC’s directive to the PMO regarding the recommendations of the J L Kapur Commission. He claimed the commission’s report is really explosive that will reveal a lot.
The directive asks the PMO "to build archives of records regarding Mahatma Gandhi assassination, investigation, trial, punishment, official correspondent, and action taken on the recommendations of J L Kapur Commission."
Full text of the 1969 report of Justice Jeevan Lal Kapur Inquiry Commission was released by the Home Ministry in 1970 and it is the final government version of the assassination of the Father of Nation.