Pune Court Dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s Request to Reveal Complainant’s Ancestry in Savarkar Defamation Case
A Pune court recently denied a plea by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi (LoP) that the complainant in the Vinayak Savarkar defamation case, Satyaki Savarkar, had purposefully withheld material facts about his maternal lineage, specifically that he is the grandson of Gopal Vinayak Godse, the younger brother of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi [Satyaki Savarkar v. Rahul Gandhi].
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shriram Shinde denied Gandhi's request for the court to order Satyaki Savarkar to reveal his maternal lineage and family tree.
The Court stated that there was no dispute before it regarding the case's unrelatedness to the complainant's family tree. Therefore, the Court said, the same need not be revealed or investigated.
"The case is unrelated, and there is no dispute regarding the late Smt. Himani Ashok Savarkar's family tree. As a result, this court finds no merit in the accused's application. Additionally, sending the matter for additional investigation is not necessary. Therefore, the application lacks merit and could be denied," the May 28 order stated.
In the defamation lawsuit, Satyaki accused Gandhi of disparaging Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar in a speech given in London in March 2023.
Gandhi, according to Satyaki, had referenced a passage from Savarkar's writings where the author called an attack on a Muslim man "pleasurable."
Satyaki denied that Savarkar's writings contained such a passage and petitioned the court for Gandhi's conviction under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code as well as damages under Section 357 CrPC.
Gandhi responded by accusing Satyaki of "deliberately, systematically, very brilliantly avoiding and suppressing" the disclosure of his maternal family tree, which creates a direct familial connection to the Godse family and is relevant in determining the defamation case.
According to information, the mother of the deceased complainant, Smt. Himani Ashok Savarkar, is the daughter of Gopal Vinayak Godse, the younger brother of Nathuram Vinayak Godse, who killed the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on January 30, 1948, and was hanged on November 15, 1949, along with his accomplice, Narayan Apte," Gandhi said.
Gandhi's application made clear that the complainant's mother, Himani Ashok Savarkar, was not only the niece of Nathuram and Gopal Godse but also a prominent political figure connected to Hindutva groups like Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha and Abhinav Bharat.
Gandhi claims that the Godse and Savarkar families have blood and ideological ties, and that this historical connection is essential to evaluating Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's legacy and reputation, which are at the centre of the defamation claim.
Gandhi further claimed that Satyaki's family connection is important for the court to consider when determining whether or not defamation took place.
Gandhi argued that, despite the legal and historical significance of his maternal lineage, no attempt was made to reveal or explain it, even though Satyaki had submitted two versions of his paternal family tree to the court record.
Gandhi therefore asked the court to order Satyaki to submit an affidavit revealing his maternal family tree. If he didn't, Gandhi asked that the case be sent to the Vishrambag Police Station in Pune for additional investigation in accordance with Section 173(8) CrPC.
Gandhi's appeal has now been denied.
The merits of the defamation lawsuit have not yet been heard.
Gandhi's request to change the case from a summary trial to a summons trial, which allows for the introduction of more extensive documentary and historical evidence, was granted by the Court earlier in May. Gandhi defended this decision by stating that his statements were supported by credible historical sources.
Gandhi was represented by advocate Milind Pawar.
Sangram Kolhatkar, an advocate, represented Savarkar.
