10-30-2006, 12:10 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>I'm Netaji, said 125-yr-old sadhu & died </b>
Pioneer News Service | Bhopal
Police have launched an inquiry into the claims of a 125-year-old sadhu, who minutes before dying claimed that he was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Baba Lalji Maharaj, who was living in Saiji village in Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh for the past 30 years, claimed before he died on October 27 that he was the iconic freedom fighter popularly known as Netaji, ex-sarpanch GS Raghuvanshi told reporters.
Ashok Nagar Collector MC Gupta confirmed that the police had launched a preliminary probe. A police team that went to Lalji's house found newspaper cuttings linked to Netaji, travel tickets and photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Lalji Baba of Saiji village had disclosed to Raghuvanshi that he was Netaji while returning from Guna where he underwent medical treatment on October 27. Raghuvanshi said that the claim was made barely two minutes before the sadhu died.
Raghuwanshi added that in the past too, Lalji baba had claimed that Subhash Chandra Bose was alive. He also often spoke of injuries suffered in an aircraft crash, said Raghuvanshi.
When asked about the deep scars on his head and body, he would reply that he sustained the injuries when he "fell from a plane", he said.
Baba, who ran an ashram, always rubbished reports about Bose's death.
Baba, who occasionally made trips to undisclosed locations, probably in Delhi, was buried according to his wishes at a spot selected by him about a week ago, Raghuvanshi said.
Officials added that if some truth was found in the claims made by Raghuvanshi, a DNA test of his remains would be ordered. As word about Baba's claim spread, people thronged Saiji as local police station in-charge, Kavindra Pal Singh Chouhan, reached the ashram to collect evidence about the issue.
"If the need arises, his body will be exhumed to confirm the claims," Chouhan told reporters.Â
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Pioneer News Service | Bhopal
Police have launched an inquiry into the claims of a 125-year-old sadhu, who minutes before dying claimed that he was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Baba Lalji Maharaj, who was living in Saiji village in Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh for the past 30 years, claimed before he died on October 27 that he was the iconic freedom fighter popularly known as Netaji, ex-sarpanch GS Raghuvanshi told reporters.
Ashok Nagar Collector MC Gupta confirmed that the police had launched a preliminary probe. A police team that went to Lalji's house found newspaper cuttings linked to Netaji, travel tickets and photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Lalji Baba of Saiji village had disclosed to Raghuvanshi that he was Netaji while returning from Guna where he underwent medical treatment on October 27. Raghuvanshi said that the claim was made barely two minutes before the sadhu died.
Raghuwanshi added that in the past too, Lalji baba had claimed that Subhash Chandra Bose was alive. He also often spoke of injuries suffered in an aircraft crash, said Raghuvanshi.
When asked about the deep scars on his head and body, he would reply that he sustained the injuries when he "fell from a plane", he said.
Baba, who ran an ashram, always rubbished reports about Bose's death.
Baba, who occasionally made trips to undisclosed locations, probably in Delhi, was buried according to his wishes at a spot selected by him about a week ago, Raghuvanshi said.
Officials added that if some truth was found in the claims made by Raghuvanshi, a DNA test of his remains would be ordered. As word about Baba's claim spread, people thronged Saiji as local police station in-charge, Kavindra Pal Singh Chouhan, reached the ashram to collect evidence about the issue.
"If the need arises, his body will be exhumed to confirm the claims," Chouhan told reporters.Â
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