Complainant Concealed Family Ties With Godse, Rahul Tells Pune Court

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has filed an application before the special MP/MLA Court in Pune claiming that the complainant in the Vinayak Savarkar defamation case, Satyaki Savarkar, deliberately concealed material facts regarding his maternal lineage — specifically, that he was the grandson of Gopal Vinayak Godse, younger brother of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse.

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE:

Gandhi's defence counsel, advocate Milind Pawar, filed an application requesting the court to verify the maternal ancestry of Satyaki. Pawar told the court that while Satyaki had documented his paternal connection to VD Savarkar, he had not disclosed his maternal lineage.

According to the defence, Satyaki's mother, the late Himani Ashok Savarkar, belonged to the Godse family. Her father was Gopal Vinayak Godse, brother of Nathuram Godse. "This would mean Nathuram Godse is the complainant's maternal granduncle," Pawar told the court.

If Satyaki Savarkar does not voluntarily submit details on his maternal lineage, Pawar has requested that Vishrambaug police station be directed to investigate and provide a report verifying Himani Savarkar's family background.