Savarkar Filed 10 Mercy Petitions, Grandnephew Tells Pune Court in Rahul Gandhi Defamation Case

The criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a significant turn before a Pune court, as Satyaki admitted during cross-examination that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had filed ten mercy petitions before the British government seeking reduction of his sentence. The testimony came in the ongoing proceedings arising from Gandhi’s alleged remarks about Savarkar during a speech delivered in London in 2023.

Appearing before Special Judge Amol Shinde, Satyaki Savarkar acknowledged that records of the mercy petitions are available in official government archives. He also accepted that Savarkar had submitted his first mercy petition within a month of being sentenced and that he continued to be referred to as “Veer” even while filing such petitions.

During questioning by Gandhi’s counsel, Satyaki further accepted that several revolutionaries from the same period, including Rajguru, Ashfaqulla Khan and Batukeshwar Dutt, did not file clemency petitions. He also stated that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt remained committed to their ideological beliefs until the end and did not compromise with the British authorities.

At the same time, Satyaki defended Savarkar’s actions, arguing that filing mercy petitions was a recognised legal procedure under British rule and was not unique to Savarkar. According to him, many prisoners sought sentence reductions through similar applications. He maintained that the language used by Savarkar in the petitions did not indicate loyalty to the British government and was consistent with official protocol required for such communications.

Satyaki also told the court that the British administration rejected all ten petitions. He stated that British authorities believed Savarkar would rejoin revolutionary activities if released, posing a threat to colonial rule. He further said there was no evidence to suggest that the petitions contained expressions of allegiance to the British Crown.

The court also examined extracts from one of the petitions in which Savarkar reportedly complained that other prisoners had been released while he continued to face severe punishment in the Andaman jail. However, Satyaki admitted that he did not possess any expert report comparing Savarkar’s petitions with those filed by other prisoners or establishing that the language used was merely strategic.

He further acknowledged that no prisoner was required to file a mercy petition and that the decision depended entirely on the individual concerned.

The case stems from Rahul Gandhi’s speech at a gathering of the Overseas Congress in the United Kingdom. Satyaki Savarkar alleges that Gandhi made false statements about Savarkar, including claims regarding a book and an incident involving a Muslim individual, which he says never occurred. The complaint seeks punishment for criminal defamation and compensation under the law.

The cross-examination of Satyaki Savarkar is scheduled to continue on July 1.