Did you know that Mahatma Gandhi’s body wasn’t subjected to a post-mortem after being assassinated by Nathuram Godse? Or that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the National Archives of India and two prominent Government institutions dedicated to the Father of the Nation, don’t have access to the final charge sheet pertaining to a criminal case regarding his death?
The seemingly ironic fact that both these documents had remained beyond the public domain for close to seven decades has been revealed by the Central Information Commission (CIC) to an Odisha-based Right to Information (RTI) activist in an instant, though landmark, decision last week.
'No post-mortem was done as per family’s wishes'
Following Information Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal’s order on June 25, the CIC has directed the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide both the First Information Report (FIR) and the charge sheet of the Gandhi assassination to Hemanta Panda, the RTI appellant free of cost after more than two years since he made the request.
On March 22, 2013, Mr. Panda, a resident of District Balangir, Odisha, filed the RTI application on seven points regarding the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi to the CPIO of the MHA. This query was transferred, on April 5, 2013, to the National Archives of India and the Director of Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. The CPIO of the National Archives had, on April 18, 2013, asked Mr. Panda to visit its premises to get the information sought by him.
When the matter came up for hearing at the CIC last Thursday, Mr. Panda submitted that both the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti had provided him information pertaining to all the queries except two – whether Mr. Gandhi’s post-mortem examination had been conducted as per law and a copy of the final charge sheet.
“We direct the CPIO of MHA to make another search to see whether any information is available in that Ministry or with the Tughlak Road Police Station. If so, the CPIO should provide such information, as becomes available, to the Appellant free of cost...the above directives should be carried out by the CPIO, MHA within thirty days of receipt of this order,” Information Commissioner Sabharwal ordered.
Me. Sabharwal added that he was satisfied that the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti had informed Mr. Panda about the fact that Mr. Gandhi’s body had not been subjected to post-mortem examination as per the wishes of his family and no further information was due in response.
According to Delhi Police records, around 5.10 p.m. on January 30, 1948, Mr. Gandhi fell to three shots fired at him from an Italian-made Beretta at point-blank range by Mr. Godse at the Birla House located near Tughlak Road. Mr. Godse was overpowered and apprehended immediately and booked for murder soon after.
Eight people, including Mr. Godse were charged for the assassination. After a trial at a special court held inside the Red Fort at North Delhi, Mr. Godse and his accomplice Narayan Apte were sentenced to death, while the remaining were awarded life sentences.
