Was there a second person involved in the death of Mahatma Gandhi?
Though the police went by the theory that three bullets were fired upon him, was there a fourth bullet also that was fired by someone besides Nathuram Godse?
These questions are among the several that have been raised in a petition before the Supreme Court with a plea that there is a compelling need to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the murder by constituting a new commission of inquiry.
The petition also raises questions about the investigation into the killing, suggesting it was one of the biggest cover-ups in history, and also questioning whether there was any basis to blame Vinayak Damodar Savarkar for it.
The petition by Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat, Mumbai, has claimed that the Justice J.L. Kapur Commission of Inquiry set up in 1966 was not able to unearth the entire conspiracy that culminated in the killing of the Father of the Nation. Mr. Phadnis has also questioned the three bullet theory relied upon by various courts of law to uphold the conviction of the accused, including Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte, who were hanged to death on November 15, 1949, while Savarkar was given the benefit of doubt due to lack of evidence.
Inspired by Savarkar, Abinav Bharat was set up in 2001 and it claims to work for the socially and economically weaker sections with a focus on bridging the digital divide.
Mr. Phadnis said that his research and media reports of those days suggested that four bullets were pumped into Gandhi and the difference between three and four shots was material as the pistol by which Godse shot Mahatma on January 30, 1948 had a seven-bullet chamber.
