Subhash Chandra Bose’s cap missing from Red Fort museum: Grandnephew

Chandra Kumar Bose, grandnephew of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and a former BJP leader, on Thursday alleged that Netaji’s cap has gone missing from the Netaji Museum at the Red Fort in Delhi.

In a post on X, Chandra Kumar Bose said that he and his family members had personally handed over Netaji’s cap to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The post read: “Dear Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, you may recall that I, along with members of my family, our friend Shri @SuparnoSatpathy and many others from the Open Platform for Netaji (OPN), had handed over Netaji’s cap to you. You had personally dedicated it at the Netaji Museum, Red Fort, Delhi on January 23, 2019 — Netaji Jayanti (Patriots’ Day of India).”

Bose also shared photographs of the event when the cap was handed over to the Prime Minister. “A member of OPN, Advocate Naveen Bamel, had recently visited the museum and found Netaji’s cap missing. No one at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) could explain where it had gone. Netaji is our tallest leader and this is highly embarrassing. I shall be obliged if you kindly look into this matter,” Bose said.

Responding to a comment on his post, Chandra Kumar Bose again questioned the whereabouts of the cap. “It is the responsibility of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji to clarify why #NetajisCap is missing from the Red Fort Museum. I had personally handed over the cap to the Prime Minister and he placed it in a glass box at the entrance of the museum. The box is empty — where is the cap?” he asked.

‘Act of sacrilege’

According to him, it would amount to an act of sacrilege if the historic artefact has been misplaced. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a writ petition seeking directions to bring back the mortal remains of Subhas Chandra Bose from Japan to India.

After a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed disinclination to hear the plea, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Ashish Ray, another grandnephew of Netaji, sought permission to withdraw the petition. Singhvi told the court that Netaji’s daughter would file a fresh petition before the apex court.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, then dismissed the matter as withdrawn. At the outset, the CJI-led Bench observed that similar petitions had earlier been filed before the Supreme Court and had been dismissed.