Did Subhas Chandra Bose spend his days as a sadhu in Cooch Behar and then die in Dehra Dun in 1977? It is possible, say four findouters who claim to have new evidence about Netaji’s stay in independent India.
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When Justice MK Mukherjee tabled his report in May on the disappearance of Bose, he had mentioned the Dehradun story as one of the five versions that gained currency about Bose’s life post 1945. A swami resembling Netaji had spent about 13 years in West Bengal’s Coochbehar district before arriving in Dehra Dun in 1973. He settled there and died in 1977.
Taking the lead from this story, four “independent investigators” — retired CBI inspector OP Sharma, retired colonel BS Rawat, journalist Devendra Bhasin and RS Sharma, a former official of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration — researched about the ascetic, interviewing people who knew him and collecting photographs and letters.
Justice Mukherjee had dismissed the Dehradun version, but the quartet have urged the Centre to order a fresh probe and analyse the evidence collected.
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OP Sharma said people addressed the ascetic who lived at Rajpur, Dehradun, as “Netaji”. “Many INA members used to visit him. Uttam Chand Malhotra, with whom Netaji had stayed in Kabul after escaping from Calcutta was a frequent visitor,” said Bhasin.
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OP Sharma said people addressed the ascetic who lived at Rajpur, Dehradun, as “Netaji”. “Many INA members used to visit him. Uttam Chand Malhotra, with whom Netaji had stayed in Kabul after escaping from Calcutta was a frequent visitor,” said Bhasin.
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The four claimed that eyewitness recount the sadhu’s last rites being performed with state honours.
Until proven true, this will be another skein in the web of mystery
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
