Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died in 1945 air crash, his ashes should be brought back to India: Grandnephew

Kolkata: Ashish Ray, researcher and grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, on Sunday claimed that he has incontestable evidence with him to prove that Bose died in an air crash in Taiwan in 1945. 

"There are three reports which clearly state that Bose had died in the air crash in 1945 and did not have the opportunity to enter the Soviet Union," Ray said, while demanding that the ashes in the Renkoji temple should be brought back to India.

Earlier, two reports by the Japanese government have stated that Netaji had died in the Taiwan air crash whereas another report which is lying with the Russian state archives clearly mentions that Netaji didn't have the opportunity to enter the erstwhile Soviet Union on 1945 or afterwards, Ray said.

"He was never held as a prisoner in USSR," he added.

Ray, however, maintains that Netaji might have plans to move to Russia after the World War II as he had always believed that Moscow would support his cause to liberate India from the then British rule. 

"Netaji Bose felt that Japan would not be able to protect him as it had surrendered," Ray said.

Coming to contrary views on the issue, Ray urged the Indian government to conduct a DNA test of the ashes in the Renkiji temple. 

"For how long can we be in denial, irrespective of so much evidence which points towards his death in the plane crash. We have accounts of six or seven persons, including Habibur Rehman. I think if possible a DNA test of the ashes in Renkiji temple should be done and the ashes should be brought back to India," he said.