Netaji's ashes: SC notice to Centre on daughter Anita Pfaff's plea

The Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response to a plea by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's daughter, Anita Pfaff. She has requested the government to repatriate her father's ashes, preserved in Japan's Renkoji temple since 1945, for last rites.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central government on a plea filed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's octogenarian daughter, Anita Pfaff, seeking a direction to the government to bring his ashes back from the Renkoji temple in Japan.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana sought response from the Central government on the plea.

Details of the Plea

Senior advocate Abhishek Amani Singhvi, appearing for Pfaff, an Austrian-German economist, told the bench that Netaji's daughter has moved the court.

Pfaff said there is prolonged failure by India to take a final, reasoned and time-bound decision to repatriate to India the mortal remains/ashes attributed to Netaji, preserved at Renkoji temple.

Pfaff asked to repatriate the ashes of Netaji to India to allow the sole living direct lineal descendant to perform his last rites with dignity and finality.

She has repeatedly been appealing to the Indian government to bring Netaji's ashes back from Renkoji temple in Tokyo, where they have been preserved since 1945.

Pfaff has argued that the remains should be returned to India for a proper and dignified funeral, saying it is time to end what she has described as Netaji's long "exile".

She sought repatriation of Netaji's ashes by India or, as an alternative, "facilitate her to repatriate the ashes" On Netaji's 129th birth anniversary in January 2026, she renewed her appeal and noted that she had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the government's intervention in bringing the ashes back. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)