A fresh development has emerged in the criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, with Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, telling a Pune court that Nathuram Godse and his brother Gopal Godse were active members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Satyaki, whose complaint accuses Gandhi of defaming Savarkar through remarks made during a speech in London, made the statement while being cross-examined by Gandhi’s lawyer Milind Pawar before Special Judge Amol Shinde on Monday, August 17.
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During the proceedings, Satyaki confirmed that his maternal grandfather, Gopal Godse, was the brother of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. He also acknowledged that the Godse and Savarkar families were related.
Godse, Savarkar Named As Accused
Satyaki told the court that Gopal Godse and Vinayak Savarkar were among those accused in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case. He identified Nathuram Godse as the person who shot Gandhi while the Mahatma was heading towards Birla House in Delhi for his evening prayer.
According to the deposition recorded by the court, Nathuram Godse was accused No. 1, followed by Narayan Apte, Vishnu Karkare, Madanlal Pahava, Shankar Kistayya, Gopal Godse, Vinayak Savarkar and Dr DS Parchure.
Satyaki further confirmed that Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were sentenced to death, while Gopal Godse received a life imprisonment sentence. He said Gopal Godse later settled in Pune, where he lived for around 35 years and wrote books and newspaper articles before his death.
RSS Membership Mentioned In Court
During the cross-examination, Satyaki stated that both his maternal grandfather Gopal Godse and Nathuram Godse had been active members of the RSS.
He said he was unaware of several specific claims put to him by Gandhi’s lawyer, including whether Gopal Godse had given an interview to Frontline magazine in 1994, whether Nathuram Godse had served as an intellectual executive in 1944, and whether RSS leader Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar and Digambar Badage were also accused in the Gandhi assassination case.
Satyaki also confirmed that Nathuram Godse was a member of the Hindu Mahasabha. He further acknowledged that his wife and maternal grandfather were members of the Hindu Mahasabha, which he described as a political party.
He also told the court that Savarkar served as president of the Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 to 1943 after his release from the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands.
The questioning prompted objections from Satyaki’s lawyer, Sangram Kolhatkar, who argued that the questions concerning Gandhi’s assassination and the RSS were outside the scope of the present defamation proceedings. The court said the objections would be considered at the time of the final decision.
Plea Seeking Rahul Gandhi’s Voice Sample
The proceedings also saw a fresh application from Satyaki’s side seeking a voice sample from Rahul Gandhi.
Through his lawyer, Satyaki asked the Special Court to direct the collection of Gandhi’s voice sample so that it could be compared with the audio recording of the speech he delivered in London.
The application argued that the cross-examination was being conducted in a piecemeal manner, resulting in delays. It also referred to Gandhi’s earlier request for exemption from personally appearing before the Pune court on security grounds, citing Pune’s association with Nathuram Godse.
Satyaki’s counsel pointed out that Gandhi was expected to address a public gathering in Pune around August 22. Gandhi’s lawyer opposed the application orally, following which the court directed him to submit a formal response. The matter has been adjourned to September 1.
What Is The Case About?
The criminal defamation case, titled Satyaki Savarkar vs Rahul Gandhi, relates to comments Gandhi allegedly made about Savarkar during a speech to the Overseas Congress in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2023.
Satyaki has alleged that Gandhi made false and malicious statements about Savarkar with the intention of damaging his reputation and causing mental distress to his family.
One of the allegations cited in the complaint concerns Gandhi’s claim that Savarkar had written about assaulting a Muslim man. Satyaki has maintained that Savarkar never authored such a book and that the incident referred to by Gandhi never occurred.
Although the speech was delivered in England, Satyaki has argued that its alleged defamatory impact reached Pune because the remarks were subsequently published and circulated across India. The complainant has submitted news reports and a YouTube video of the speech as evidence.
The complaint seeks punishment under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code for criminal defamation, along with compensation under Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The cross-examination of Satyaki Savarkar is scheduled to resume on September 1, when the court is also expected to consider the pending application seeking Rahul Gandhi’s voice sample.
(Inputs from Live Law)
Edited by: Moonmoon Borah
