But the silver lining has appeared in research papers and the declassification of top secret files. The Mukherjee Commission has already examined important witnesses like Bose's private secretary E Bhaskaran, INA's Pritam Singh and Capt Lakshmi Sehgal. One prominent researcher is said to have told the Commission of the existence of secret files in Russia, showing that Netaji was alive in 1946.

The Commission intends to pick up clues from Britain, Japan, Taiwan and Russia. Justice Mukherjee is particularly interested in over 700 recently declassified files in the British Public Records Office pertaining to the Indian National Army

The Commission is currently at work in Britain. Chances are Hugh Toye, a wartime British secret agent, and Peter Archer, a life peer - the men who know too much - may depose before the Commission.

Interestingly, the Commission is also studying claims made by several people, including INA veterans, that Netaji lived in India beyond 1945 in the guise of a holy man. Deposing before the Commission, a renowned surgeon from UP produced pictures to vouch for his claim and said he was willing to produce Netaji's palm imprints for a DNA test.

For the hurdles, the Commission is reportedly having difficulty accessing a number of government files.

The Commission's status report noted some time back that other files/documents "as specifically mentioned... have not been received, most of which are reportedly destroyed".