English translation of original
F.I.R. of Mahatma Gandhi Assassination case - 1948
First Information of a Cognizable
Crime Reported under Section 154, C.P.C.
| Police Station : Tughlak Road |
District : Central |
| No. : 68 |
Date and hour of occurence : 30.1.1948 /
5:45 P.M. |
| 1 |
Date and hour when reported |
|
| 2 |
Name and residence of informant
/complainant |
Shri Nand Lal Mehta, son of Shri Natha
Lal Mehta, Indian, Building Lala Suraj Prasad M Block, Connaught Circus |
| 3 |
Brief description of offence (with
section) and of property carried off, if any |
302 I.P.C. |
| 4 |
Place of occurence and distance/
direction from Police Station |
Birla House, distance 2 furlongs |
| 5 |
Name and address of the criminal |
|
| 6 |
Steps taken regarding investigation/
explanation of delay in recording information |
|
Statement of Shri
Nand Lal Mehta, son of Shri Natha Lal Mehta, Indian, resident of Connaught Circus Building
Lala Sarju Prasad
Today I was present at Birla House. Around ten minutes past five in the evening,
Mahatma Gandhi left his room in Birla House for the Prayer Ground. Sister Abha Gandhi and
sister Sanno Gandhi were accompanying him. Mahatma was walking with his hands on the
shoulders of the two sisters. Two more girls were there in the group. I alongwith Lala
Brij Kishan, a silver merchant, resident of No. 1, Narendra Place, Parliament Street and Sardar
Gurbachan Singh, resident of Timar Pur, Delhi were also there. Apart from us, women from
the Birla household and two-three members of the staff were also present. Having crossed the
garden, Mahatma climbed the concrete steps towards the prayer place. People were
standing on both the sides and approximately three feet of vacant space was left for the
Mahatma to pass through. As per the custom the Mahatma greeted the people with folded
hands. He had barely covered six or seven steps when a person whose name I learnt later
as Narayan Vinayak Godse, resident of Poona, stepped closer and fired three shots from a pistol
at the Mahatma from barely 2 / 3 feet distance which hit the Mahatma in his stomach and chest
and blood started flowing. Mahatma ji fell backwards, uttering "Raam - Raam".
The assailant was apprehended on the spot with the weapon. The Mahatma was
carried away in an unconscious state towards the residential unit of the Birla House where he
passed away instantly and the police took away the assailant.
Sd/-
N.L. Mehta/30.1.1948.
Having received the information I
rushed to the Birla House to find the dead body of the Mahatma at room No. 3. Met Shri
Nand Lal Mehta, his statement recorded and got confirmed after reading it out to him.
Copy of the statement handed over to him. Came to know that the assailant was whisked
away by the Assistant Sub-Inspector. It was a case of Section 302 Indian Penal
Code. All the case papers were sent to the Police Station Tughlak Road and I got engaged
in conducting investigations. A special report may be forwarded through the police
station.
Sd. in English/30 January |
