Rahul Gandhi defamation case: Savarkar’s grandnephew makes claim on Gandhi’s last moments

V D Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar claimed during cross-examination in a criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi that Mahatma Gandhi remained at the spot for 20 minutes after being shot by Nathuram Godse. Satyaki’s lawyer also sought Gandhi’s voice samples

Pune: After being shot by Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi remained at the spot for 20 minutes with no one taking him to hospital, which showed the then government’s apathy towards him, V D Savarkar’s grandnephew claimed while deposing in a criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi.

Advocate Milind Pawar, appearing for Rahul Gandhi, cross-examined Satyaki Savarkar on Monday before special judge Amol Shinde of the MP/MLA court in Pune. Meanwhile, Satyaki’s lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar moved an application before the court seeking to obtain Rahul Gandhi’s voice samples during his scheduled visit to Pune on August 22.

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In his response, Gandhi’s lawyer told the court that he would file a say on September 1.The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is scheduled to visit Pune on August 22 to interact with students as a part of the ‘Chhatron Ki Gunj’ initiative.

During his cross-examination, Satyaki said that it is true that while Mahatma Gandhi was going to a prayer meeting at Birla House on January 30, 1948, “my cousin’s grandfather Nathuram Godse shot him dead”. He then volunteered an additional statement, claiming that Gandhi remained at the spot for around 20 minutes after being shot and that nobody took him to a nearby hospital. “This was the then government’s apathy towards Gandhi,” he added.

The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by Satyaki alleging that the Congress leader had falsely claimed that V D Savarkar had written in a book about how he and his friends had assaulted a Muslim youth and derived pleasure from the act. The complainant has maintained that no such incident appears in Savarkar’s writings.