Urn photos shed new light on Renkoji remains

[   TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2002 ]

KOLKATA: Finally, the Jutsice Mukherjee Commission, investigating the disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, received the pictures of the urn and its contents kept at the Renkoji Temple in Japan on November 28.

It is believed that the urn contained the ashes of Netaji. There were photographs of the bone fragments, parts of a skull, some teeth and portion of a jaw.

The commission has six photographs. Describing this as a "major breakthrough", Mukherjee said, "We will now have to decide on sending the contents for DNA testing." Prior to this, it was thought that the urn had only ashes. Two petitioners firmly believe that Netaji was not killed in the air crash on August 18, 1945.

Also, it would depend on the Japanese government’s consent to send the body parts to India for testing. In September, when the commission had visited Japan to talk to T. Yoshimi and people known to be Netaji devotees, it was also supposed to examine the contents of the urn at the Renkoji Temple. "We could not do so though as it was a holiday and experts who could open the urn were not there," said Mukherjee.

In a letter to the Indian ambassador in Japan, Mukherjee had requested that the contents of the urn be examined in the presence of a competent embassy officer. "The photographs were taken by these officers," claimed Mukherjee.

Two petitioners were questioned by the commission on Monday. Subhash Dasgupta, a retired government employee, maintained that Sharadanandaji, founder of the Solmari Ashram at Falakata, Cooch Behar, was none other than Netaji.

He maintained that Uttamchand Malhotra, one of the ashram inmates, who had given shelter to Netaji in Kabul, had recognised him as the sadhu there.Usharanjan Bhattacharya, the second petitioner and author of the book, Lal Quilay Netajir Hotya (The murder of Netaji in the Red Fort) said he believed that Netaji was shot dead by a British officer in front of his companion Habibur Rehman.

How did he reach this conclusion? After reading The springing tiger by Major Hugh Toy, an intelligence officer in the British Army.

Mukherjee said that some handwritings believed to be of the Gumnami Baba had been collected from Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, and sent for examination.

He was able to collect the Baba’s teeth, too. "But to reach a conclusion, we have to take blood samples of Netaji’s family members, two each from the paternal and maternal sides. While Subrata Bose has agreed to give his blood for DNA testing, we have to locate the others," informed Mukherjee.

Original Article : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/30198921.cms