Nathuram Godse was an active member of RSS: Savarkar kin to Pune court in case against Rahul Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse was an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), right wing ideologue Vinayak Savarkar's grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar told a Pune court on Monday [Satyaki Savarkar v. Rahul Gandhi].

Satyaki Savarkar made the statement during his cross examination in the criminal defamation case filed by him against Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi.

Savarkar was being examined by Gandhi’s lawyer advocate Milind D Pawar.

The deposition took place before Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Amol Shriram Shinde. 

When questioned about the events of January 30, 1948 at Birla House in Delhi on the day when Gandhiji was assassinated, Satyaki Savarkar affirmed that Nathuram Godse shot and killed Mahatma Gandhi. 

Satyaki also acknowledged the historical involvement of his family in the assassination case. He conceded that his maternal grandfather Gopal Godse and granduncle Vinayak Savarkar were among the accused. 

Savarkar also stated that Gopal Godse and Nathuram Godse were active members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 

He confirmed that Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were sentenced to death while Gopal Godse received life imprisonment and later returned to Pune.

However, he claimed that he does not know whether the second chief of RSS Sadashiv Gowalkar and Digambar Badage were also accused in the Gandhi murder case. 

The criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar stemmed from a speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi in London in March 2023, during which he allegedly referred to an incident described in Savarkar’s writings.

Rahul Gandhi reportedly claimed that Vinayak Savarkar, along with others, had assaulted a Muslim man and found the act “pleasurable.”

Satyaki Savarkar disputed the existence of any such account in Savarkar’s published works. He initiated criminal proceedings, alleging that Gandhi’s statement was factually incorrect, misleading and defamatory. 

According to the complaint, the remarks not only distorted historical facts but also damaged the reputation of Vinayak Savarkar. He moved the Court seeking Gandhi’s conviction under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code along with compensation under Section 357 CrPC.

Satyaki Savarkar's cross-examination by Rahul Gandhi's lawyer is currently in progress.

During the cross-examination, Satyaki Savarkar also claimed that due to government apathy, Mahatma Gandhi lay unattended for about 20 minutes after he was shot by Nathuram Godse.

“The witness volunteers that after Mahatma Gandhi was shot, he lay there unattended for about 20 minutes. Nobody took him to the nearby hospital. This was the apathy of the government at that time towards Gandhiji,” Satyaki Savarkar said. 

Satyaki also confirmed that after Vinayak Savarkar was released from jail by the British in 1924, he became active in politics and served as the President of the Hindu Mahasabha Party from 1937 to 1943.

Savarkar's counsel advocate Sangram Kothalkar opposed the questions posed by Gandhi's lawyer. However, the Court decided it will consider these objections at the time of the final judgment.

Savarkar also filed an application urging the court to hear a pending plea to obtain Gandhi's voice samples.

The complainant highlighted that Gandhi had previously sought a permanent exemption from personal appearance, citing security threats in Pune. 

However, he pointed out that Gandhi is scheduled to visit Pune on August 22, 2026 because he is evidently satisfied with the local security arrangements. 

Consequently, Satyaki pressed the Court to proceed with the voice sample request to ensure a fair opportunity to adduce credible evidence. 

He emphasised that obtaining these voice samples is of utmost necessity for a fair and proper adjudication of the complaint.

Further hearing and cross-examination will continue on September 1.