The Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition seeking an inquiry into the mysterious death of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan refused to entertain the matter, asserting that it was beyond the Court’s purview.
The petitioner, Pinaki Pani Mohanty, had contended that Netaji’s death remained unresolved and sought an investigation to uncover the truth. However, the Court firmly declined, emphasizing that such issues should be addressed through appropriate forums or political channels.
“You should go to the appropriate forum… the issue whether one commission was right or another is about policy,” Justice Surya Kant remarked during the hearing.
Taking a firm stance, the Court questioned the role of the judiciary in such matters, with Justice Kant adding, “We are not experts of everything… Aap political worker hain na, apni party mei jaaiye aur mudda uthaiye. Supreme Court har cheez ki dawa nahi hai. Sarkar ko chalana court ka kaam nahi hai (You are a political worker, right? You go to your party and raise the issue. The Supreme Court is not the remedy for everything. It is not the Court’s job to run the government).”
The petition also sought a declaration recognizing the Azad Hind Fauj’s (Indian National Army) role as pivotal in India’s independence, a matter the bench deemed unsuitable for judicial intervention.
In a previous hearing, the Court had expressed dissatisfaction with the petitioner’s “reckless and irresponsible” allegations against deceased national leaders, raising concerns about the motives behind the plea.
The dismissal signals the judiciary’s reluctance to wade into politically charged historical debates, reaffirming that such issues are best resolved through political discourse and policy mechanisms.
