Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has submitted a petition to the special MP/MLA Court in Pune, alleging that complainant Satyaki Savarkar concealed crucial family connections in his criminal defamation case. Gandhi claims that Savarkar has family ties to both right-wing figure Vinayak Savarkar and Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, but failed to disclose these relationships to the court.
Through his lawyer Milind Pawar, Gandhi argues that while Satyaki acknowledged being the son of Ashok Savarkar (Vinayak Savarkar's nephew), he deliberately hid his maternal lineage. According to the petition, Satyaki's mother Himani was the daughter of Gopal Godse, who was Nathuram Godse's brother and was also convicted in Gandhi's assassination.
The application states that Satyaki only provided his paternal family tree while withholding his maternal ancestry, thus concealing his connection as Gopal Godse's grandson. Gandhi's legal team characterizes this omission as deliberate suppression of material facts, calling it a "fraud on the court" that could result in case dismissal or denial of relief.
Gandhi's petition also highlights that Satyaki failed to mention Vinayak Savarkar's role as a co-accused in Mahatma Gandhi's murder case, though Savarkar was ultimately acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The application references historical records showing how both Godse and Savarkar advocated for a "Hindu Nation," viewed Muslims and Christians as outsiders in India, and conspired against Mahatma Gandhi for his perceived favorability toward Muslims during partition.
This response addresses Satyaki's defamation complaint, which centers on Gandhi's London statement about Savarkar's alleged writings describing attacks on a Muslim youth. Special Judge Amol Shinde has directed Satyaki to respond to Gandhi's petition.
