Drawing the curtain on one of the biggest mysteries of Indian history, the Government has finally said Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose died in a plane crash in Taiwan on August, 18 1945.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a reply to a Right To Information (RTI) query filed by Sayak Sen said, “After considering the reports of Shahnawaz Committee, Justice GD Khosla Commission and Justice Mukherjee Commission of Enquiry, the Government has come to the conclusion that Netaji died in a plane crash in 1945.”
The RTI reply actually ends the 70-year-old suspense over the death of Netaji, whose death and life became subject of research. It was believed that Netaji lived incognito as Gumnami Baba or Bhagwanji in Uttar Pradesh till 1985.
Sen had also asked the Government about information on Gumnami Baba in his RTI to which MHA replied, “Some information regarding Gumnami Baba and Bhagwanji is available in Mukherjee Commission report on page 114-122. This report is available at mha.nic.in.”
“Mukherjee Commission had come to the conclusion that Gumnami Baba/Bhagwanji was not Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Ministry has declassified all available files (37) relating to Netaji,” the MHA said. The Government recently had declassified several documents relating to Netaji, however, there was no conclusive evidence about his death.
Majority of Netaji’s family and his followers believe that he did not die in a plane crash. last year a British website released what it claims as eyewitness accounts of the day Netaji was reportedly killed in the plane crash.
It quoted statements by those who saw Netaji in the last days and the eyewitness included Colonel Habib-ur Rahman — Netaji’s ADC and a co-passenger — who claimed that soon after the aircraft was airborne there was a loud explosion and the plane crashed down. Netaji’s clothes had caught fire and he later succumbed to injuries.
Netaji’s grandnephew rejects Centre’s reply; seeks SIT probe
Kolkata: Rejecting the Centre’s statement on the death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, BJP leader and his grandnephew Chandra Bose on Wednesday demanded setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to unravel the mystery of Netaji’s disappearance.