Sixty-nine years ago, Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead on the steps of Birla House by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist.
There were 12 people implicated in the killing of Gandhi – nine were punished or released, but three of them simply vanished; these three are the subjects of the Indian government’s recent investigation. Gangadhar Jadhav, Gangadhar Dandwate, and Suryadeo Sharma were all declared to be fugitives while the case was being heard.
The day after the process of appeal was finished in the Punjab high court, it was said that the three had been found, arrested, and then released. Years after the case was heard and the sentence filed, the public still didn’t know where the three had gone; it appeared they had vanished without a trace. The three were wanted because they were accused of being complicit in obtaining the pistol that was involved in the killing.
A new investigation is being undertaken to inquire into what took place so long ago. The government is looking for missing details and evidence, as well as the whereabouts of the three men. RTI activist Harinder Dhingra has welcomed the news, as he feels that so many of the events around Gandhi’s death have been hidden from the public for much too long. The secret files on Gandhi may be declassified so that the events before and after his death can be examined.
At present, the government is just starting to declassify files and has vowed to process 25 a month; hopefully, the Gandhi file will be one of those that’s released. Some skeptics believe it’s not worth investigating as the case is no longer relevant – the events happened far in the past, and the chances of finding new information would be remote at best.
It is unclear if any information is missing or if records exist concerning the supposed arrest and release of the three men. However, the CIC (Central Information Commission) has requested that archives covering all aspects of the assassination case be built up.
This would include the investigation, the trial, the punishments dealt out, and the action of the police and officials that were on the case at the time.
The Tughlak Road Police Station has been told to provide any case diaries or records available that would demonstrate their efforts in tracing the three missing men.
It will take a time to collect the scattered information, but hopefully, a clearer picture of the events leading up to and after the assassination of Gandhi will become clearer.