SC appoints amicus curiae on plea seeking re-probe of Gandhi murder

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday put some searching questions on a plea seeking reopening of the investigation into the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

After a brief hearing, a bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao appointed senior advocate and former additional solicitor general Amrender Sharan as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.

During the hearing which lasted about 15 minutes, the apex court was initially of the view that "nothing can be done in law" in the case which has been decided long ago. However, it later told Sharan that its observation was not binding on him to make an assessment of the matter and posted it for further hearing on October 30.

The petition filed by Mumbai-based Dr Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat, has sought reopening of the probe on several grounds, claiming it was one of the biggest cover-ups in history. Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism.