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Calcutta High Court Division Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj asked the Center whether Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is alive or dead? In a public interest litigation (PIL) hearing on Monday, the court said that Center will have to furnish an affidavit within eight weeks or two months on whether Netaji was alive or dead.

The petition has been filed by Haren Bagchi, who is 94 years of age and a freedom fighter himself. Bagchi has alleged in his petition that the central government has not given due recognition to Netaji. 

Bagchi had pointed out that though several inquiry commission were formed to probe Netaji’s disappearance, the truth never came out. Government funds, he said, have been wasted on these inquiries. The PIL also mentioned that a proposal to put Bose’s picture on currency notes has already been submitted to the Reserve Bank of India. The petitioner also wanted to know how many files related to Netaji were published or unpublished. 

Additional Solicitor General YJ Dastur, appearing for the Government of India, sought eight weeks' time to file the affidavit. Accepting the demand, a division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj directed that the matter be listed for hearing on February 21 next year.

Haren Bagchi Biswas v. Union of India