Tushar Gandhi opposes Mahatma assassination re-probe, SC questions his locus standi

Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi on Monday opposed any re-investigation into the assassination of the Father of the Nation but the Supreme Court questioned his locus standi.

The query from a bench headed by Justice S.A. Bobde came as senior counsel Indira Jaising told the court that she was seeking to intervene on behalf of the Mahatma's great-grandson.

Jaising questioned the locus standi of the petitioner Pankaj Kumudchandra Phadnis seeking the reinvestigation citing some new material.

Jaising said the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi cannot be re-investigated after 70 years. She said that this was a basic criminal law. She also said she would address the court on the locus of Tushar Gandhi on the next date of hearing.

The court adjourned the hearing by four weeks as amicus curiae Amrendra Sharan told the court he has got some documents from the National Archives but not the entire lot.

Sharan told the court that he would submit a report that will put quietus to the whole issue.

After the top court questioned his locus standi, Tushar Gandhi took to Twitter to ask the Supreme Court to note that "I am Tushar Arun Manilal Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi".

"Bapu's murderers have launched a campaign to falsify circumstances of his murder, a pathetic attempt to cleanse his blood from their hands," Tushar wrote on the mirco-blogging site.

He also posted a picture of the cover page of his 2007 book "Let's Kill Gandhi: A Chronicle of His Last Days, the Conspiracy, Murder, Investigation and Trial", reiterating to the Supreme Court to note that it was "my locus standi" with regard to the case.

"I am Tushar Arun Manilal Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. My Locus Standi, Supreme Court, please note," he posted in another tweet.

The top court in the last hearing on October 6 had appointed senior counsel Sharan as amicus curiae to examine the material produced by Phadnis to ascertain whether there was need for further inquiry into the larger conspiracy behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Phadnis has moved the top court challenging the Bombay High Court's June 6, 2016 order junking his plea for fresh inquiry into the larger conspiracy behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in the wake of fresh evidence that has surfaced now.

Pointing fingers at the British Secret Service Force, the petitioner said that the Indian Ambassador to USSR was informed in February 1948 that the British had organized the murder of Mahatma Gandhi.

He also said he has come across evidence of a sinister British secret service Force 136 that had authorization to murder iconic freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose.

Describing the investigation into the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi as the biggest cover-up in Indian history, Phadnis in his petition has said that "The blame on Marathi people in general and Veer Savarkar in particular for being the cause of the death of Mahatma has no basis in law and facts."

He said in his petition that there was a "compelling need to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the murder of Mahatma Gandhi by constituting a new Commission of Inquiry".

--IANS

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