Probe Into Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's Death, Declassify Documents : Plea In Calcutta High Court

A petition has been moved before the Calcutta High Court seeking an inquiry into the 'mysterious' death of the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee who had passed away in Kashmir in the year 1953. "The citizen's of India has no information how the death was held while Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was in custody, hence, all the citizens of India had a right to get appropriate information about the mysterious death of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee," the plea avers. The petition filed by Advocates Smarajit Roy Chowdhury and Ajit Kumar Mishra, further seeks declassification of all the documents relating to Mukherjee's death and submission of a report within a fortnight. Importantly, the plea also seeks a categorical statement from the Union and West Bengal governments as to whether Dr. Mukherjee death was a result of "Nehru Conspiracy" (referring to the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru). The plea also states that in the first quarter of 1953, Dr. Mukherjee had a lengthy tripartite correspondence with Nehru and Abdullah regarding the Kashmir issue and on 9th May 1953, he addressed a rally in Ambala and Jalandhar criticizing the policy of Nehru and demanded revocation of article 370. The plea also adds that he was arrested by Katua police as he entered Kashmir without permission and thereafter, he was shifted to Srinagar Central Jail and subsequently shifted to an old dilapidated house. The petitioner has alleged that while in jail, he was infected by Dry Pleurisy and the doctor forcefully pushed streptomycin injection twice, as a result, his fever crossed 105 degrees Fahrenheit and felt pain in the chest and finally on 23rd June at 3:40 am Dr. Mukherjee expired in captivity. "The death of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in custody raised wide suspicion across the country and demands for an independent inquiry including earnest request from his mother. But Nehru, however, ignored the letter and no inquiry commission was setup. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's death therefore, remains a matter of controversy," the plea adds. Against this backdrop, the plea also raises the following basic questions: Why Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was not arrested before entering Kashmir? Is it because the Supreme court has no jurisdiction over Jammu and Kashmir?Why did Nehru never meet him while he was travelling in Jammu & Kashmir ?While Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was in detention why no trial was held by Sk. Abdulla's Government and after his arrest in Katua on May 11, 1953 why he was never produced before the court?

Probe Into Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's Death, Declassify Documents : Plea In Calcutta High Court

Sparsh Upadhyay

Tags