THE MEN WHO KILLED GANDHI by MANOHAR MALGONKAR

THE TIMELINE 1948 - 49

12 JANUARY 1948

• At Birla House, Delhi, Gandhi announces decision to go on fast to press for the payment of Pakistan’s share of Rs.55 crores from cash balance in reserve Bank of India at a time when Pakistan was in war with India over Kashmir

13 JANUARY

• Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte, editor and manager, Marathi daily, Hindu Rashtra, in Poona, read the news on teleprinter and decide to kill Gandhi.  The ‘D-Day’ - 20 January - fixed.

• Nathuram and Apte meet Digamber Badge, an arms supplier in Poona to buy grenades and explosives and ask for delivery in Bombay.

14 JANUARY

• Nathuram and Apte reach Bombay; meet Badge at Hindu Mahasabha Bhawan, Dadar

• Badge meets Madanlal Pahwa, a refugee from Pakistan, at Hindu Mahasabha Bhawan

15 JANUARY

• Nathuram and Apte visit Tata Airlines Office, Bombay, book tickets for 17 January for Delhi under false names - D.N. Karmakar and S. Marathe.

• Nathuram and Apte meet Vishnu Karkare in Bombay, secretary of Hindu Mahasabha Bhawan, Ahmednagar; tell him about their plan to kill Gandhi.  Now Karkare, Madanlal, Badge and his servant Shankar join hands.  All decide to reach Delhi by 18 January.

• Gandhi’s third day of fast; Indian government announces to release Rs.55 crores to Pakistan.

16 JANUARY

• Nathuram manages to buy a .22 bore magazine pistol in Poona; not satisfied, asks Badge to get it exchanged for a big revolver; Badge gets a .32 revolver

17 JANUARY

• Madanlal and Karkare reach Delhi; check into Sharif Hotel, Chandni Chowk

• Nathuram and Pate reach Delhi; they check into Hotel Marina (Room No.40), Connaught Place, visit Hindu Mahasabha Bhawan, Mandir Marg to meet Karkare.

18 JANUARY

• Gandhi ends fast.

• Apte, Nathuram and Karkare visit Birla house to see layout plan of the lawn and Servant’s Quarters; attend Gandhi’s prayer meeting; finalize plan of action

19 JANUARY

• Gopal Godse, brother of Nathuram, arrives in Delhi from Poona with another .38 revolver; yet to decide about the weapon.

• Badge and Shankar arrive Delhi with explosives

20 JANUARY

• Apte takes Badge and Shankar to Birla House to show Room No.3, Servant’s Quarters; Badge to shoot Gandhi from window of this room, Madanlal to light a bomb, Shankar to throw grenades, Decide to use .38 revolver

• Birla House: 4 pm, Nathuram, Apte, Madanlal, Karkare, Gopal, Badge and Shankar reach Birla House; Madanlal places the bomb; Badge sees a one-eyed man outside Room No.3, a bad omen, decides to abandon his plan to shoot.

• Birla House: 5 pm.  Prayer meeting starts, Madanlal gets the signal from Apte; lights the bomb; Badge doesn’t shoot Gandhi; Madanlal arrested by Delhi Police.

• Apte and Nathuram check out of Hotel Marina; to not leave behind any trail, board a train for Kanpur

21 JANUARY

• Gopal Godse leaves Delhi

22 JANUARY

• Karkare arranges for a lawyer for Madanlal in Delhi; leaves for Bombay

23 JANUARY

• Nathuram and Apte reach Bombay from Kanpur, via Jhansi

24 JANUARY

• Nathuram and Apte check into Hotel Elphiston Annexe, Bombay, make a new plan; Nathuram decides to shoot Gandhi without anyone’s help

27 JANUARY

• Bombay: Nathuram and Apte take a flight to Delhi, under false names - D. Narain Rao and N. Vinayak Rao; Karkare decides to be with Nathuram and Apte in Delhi

• From Delhi, Nathuram and Apte catch the Delhi-Bombay Express for Gwalior and meet Sadashiv Parchure, secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha, for a good dependable weapon

28 JANUARY

• Parachure helps them get the weapon, the 9 mm. Beretta

29 JANUARY

• Nathuram and Apte return to Delhi; book a retiring room at Old Delhi railway station

30 JANUARY

• Nathuram, Apte and Karkare go to the woods behind the Birla Temple, Mandir Marg for target practice

• 4.15 pm: Nathuram leaves for Birla House; Karkare and Apte leave minutes later

• Birla house: At 5.10 pm Gandhi leaves room; walking briskly he reaches the prayer ground

• Gandhi greets crowd; Nathuram folds his hands and says “Namaste”; pushing aside one of the girls walking with Gandhi, he shoots the Mahatma; surrenders to the police; taken to Tughlak Road police station

31 JANUARY

• Badge arrested in Poona; becomes approver

2 FEBRUARY

• Apte and Karkare reach Bombay, stay at Sea Green Hotel (North)

5 FEBRUARY

• Gopal Godse arrested in Poona

13 FEBRUARY

• Apte and Karkare arrested from Pyrke’s Apollo Hotel, Bombay

22 JUNE

• The trial commences in a Special court at Red Fort, before Judge Atma Charan

6 NOVEMBER

• Examination of the witnesses and recording of their evidence conclude

10 FEBRUARY 1949

• Court pronounces its judgment:  death sentence for Nathuram and Apte; life imprisonment for Karkare, Madanlal, Gopal, Shankar and Parachure and Badge, the approver.

2 MAY

• The hearing begins in the appeal court of Justice G.D. Khosla, Justice Acchuram and Justice Bhandari

21 JUNE

• Appeal court confirms the judgment

15 NOVEMER 1949

• Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte hanged till dead in Ambala Prison