Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated within a few months after India gained independence, and it was Nathuram Vinayak Godse who shot bullets at the father of the nation at point-blank range.
On January 30, 1948, Godse, hailing from Maharashtra, shot Gandhi at a prayer meeting in Birla House in New Delhi.
Why did Nathuram Godse assassinate Mahatma Gandhi?
Nathuram Godse had become a member of RSS and Hindu Mahasabha after dropping out of high school. However, the exact dates of his membership are uncertain.
After the assassination, he claimed that Gandhi favored the political demands of Muslims during the partition of India in 1947.
It also came to light that this was the third attempt. Earlier, he had made two unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi in 1944.
For the third and successful attempt, he had plotted the assassination with Narayan Apte and six others.
Trial
Following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, a trial titled ‘The Crown versus Nathuram Vinayak Godse and Others’ was conducted at a Special Court at Red Fort, Delhi.
After the conclusion of the trial, a judgment was pronounced on February 10, 1949. Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were awarded the death sentence.
Although an appeal was made before the East Punjab High Court against the verdict, the judge upheld the death penalty for both Godse and Apte.
Finally, on November 15, 1949, both of them were hanged to death in Ambala Jail.
