New twist to Gumnami Baba mystery

PTI, Feb 21, 2020, 11:49 AM IST

Kolkata: The mystery shrouding the identity of Gumnami Baba, who many claimed was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in hiding, has deepened further with CFSL, Kolkata, saying the electropherogram of the reclusive sadhu’s teeth was not available with it.

An electropherogram shows a sequence of data that is produced by an automated DNA sequencing machine and is used for deriving results from genealogical DNA testing.

Replying to an RTI query by Sayak Sen, a Netaji enthusiast, B P Mishra, the chief public information officer of CFSL said, “The electropherogram report of this case is not available at CFSL Kolkata.”

In the reply dated February 4, 2020, he said, “The appeal, if any, may be made before the director, the appellate authority, CFSL-Kolkata in this regard within 30 days from the date of receipt of this letter.”

The Vishnu Sahai Commission looking into the mysterious death of Netaji had cited a report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL), Kolkata, to claim that Gumnami Baba was not Bose.

“The disclosure by CFSL has a direct bearing on the finding of Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission that Gumnami Baba was not Netaji. Justice Sahai in his just-released report used the CFSL report to the hilt to reject outright the view that Baba was Netaji,” Sen said in a statement, annexing the reply to his RTI query.

Sen claimed Justice Sahai merely cited Justice Mukhejee Commission’s 2005 report in his own report, rather than order a fresh test as demanded by many.

“In view of accusations of foul play, I wanted to consult independent DNA experts to verify the test by the CFSL, and hence I filed this RTI application,” said Sen.

CFSL, Kolkata had performed DNA test on three teeth of Gumnami Baba, who lived in Faizabad town of Uttar Pradesh and died on September 16, 1985. Two teeth were tested in CFSL, Hyderabad, and the result was inconclusive, while that of CFSL, Kolkata, said the DNA sample did not match Netaji’s.

“We have been saying that the DNA report relied upon by the Mukherjee Commission was fudged. The DNA report submitted to the commission did not have an electropherogram, a must to analyze the DNA. Now the truth has been proved,” Sen said.

Netaji’s grandnephew and BJP leader Chandra Kumar Bose rubbished the allegation.

“The RTI reply is saying that the electropherogram report of this case is not available at CFSL, Kolkata. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. It is a baseless allegation,” Bose said.

The report of the one-member Vishnu Sahai Commission was tabled in the Uttar Pradesh assembly in December last year and it said Gumnami Baba was not Subhas Chandra Bose in disguise.

Bose was said to have died in a plane crash on August 18, 1945, in Taiwan. However, a section of people believes he survived the crash and went into hiding to escape the British.