Netaji mystery runs into DNA hurdle

[  TUESDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2002 ]

KOLKATA: A 57-year-old mystery, centring around the ‘disappearance’ of perhaps India’s most revered and written about political idol, has reached its climax.

Two pieces of teeth, an urn of ashes and a series of DNA tests now stand in the way of finding out what really happened to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

On Monday scientists at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory said all that they need now is blood samples from 4 people — two direct descendants each of Netaji’s brothers and sisters.

“We need to see whether these match with the teeth’s DNA tissues to find out whether they really belonged to the great patriot,” CSFL sources said.

However, two months after the teeth were handed over to the Kolkata lab, neither the Mukherjee Commission, which is investigating the case, nor CFSL have any idea how to get relatives of Netaji to donate blood.

The Mukherjee Commission may now request Netaji’s nephew and Sarat Chandra Bose’s children Subrata Bose, Chitra Ghosh or any other member of their family as well as former police commissioner Nirupam Som,who is Netaji’s sister’s son - to volunteer and provide the all important blood samples.

The teeth in question belong to a Faizabad based holy man called Gumnaami Baba, who, according to many who deposed before the Mukherjee Commission — was none other than Netaji in disguise. Gumnaami Baba died in 1994 at the age of 97. “The samples are now with CFSL. We are still waiting for Netaji’s nieces, nephews or grandchildren to come forward and allow CFSL to collect their blood samples,” justice MK Mukherjee told TNN when contacted.

When contacted lab director VK Kashyap explained that while DNA samples from descendants of Netaji’s brothers’ families would provide the ‘Y’ chromosome, blood samples from his sisters’ children, will provide the all important ‘Mitochondria’.

“Once these are matched with the teeth, we can say beyond reasonable doubt whether the teeth belonged to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose or just a simple hermit,” a senior official at the lab said.

Two pieces of teeth, an urn of ashes and a series of DNA tests now stand in the way of finding out what happened to Netaji Central Forensic Science Laboratory said all they need now is blood samples from four people – two direct descendants each of Netaji’s brothers and sisters.

Original Article : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/23804851.cms