Congress sought Savarkar’s release in 1923, grandnephew tells Pune court

3 min readPuneJul 2, 2026 11:43 AM IST

V D Savarkar was lodged in Cellular Jail (also known as Kala Pani) at Andaman from 1911 to 1921.

During a cross-examination before a special MP/MLA court in Pune Wednesday in connection with a defamation suit, Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of V D Savarkar, said the Kakinada session of the Indian National Congress in 1923 had passed a resolution to release the freedom fighter from jail.

Satyaki Savarkar had filed a defamation suit against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a speech he delivered to members of the Indian diaspora in London in March 2023.

Rahul Gandhi, who is now the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, allegedly said V D Savarkar had written a book in which he stated that he and some of his friends felt delighted by beating up a Muslim.

During his cross-examination by Gandhi’s counsel, Milind Pawar, Wednesday, Satyaki claimed the Congress resolution was passed because Savarkar’s popularity was increasing day by day, and public pressure was building up for his release.

Satyaki further claimed before the court that if the Congress had passed a similar resolution before the execution of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, their execution may have been avoided.

Savarkar was lodged in Cellular Jail (also known as Kala Pani) at Andaman from 1911 to 1921. He was then transferred to the mainland, to Ratnagiri jail, from where he was granted conditional release in 1924, and confined to Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra till 1937.

Congress resolution

When contacted, Satyaki Savarkar said he would submit a copy of the Indian National Congress resolution at the next hearing.

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“Mr. Savarkar, as you know, received a life sentence from this Bureaucracy. His brother also received, I believe, the same sentence. And, I may add, as a prisoner myself, I occupied the room in the Bijapur jail where the brother of Sjt. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Sj. Ganesh Savarkar was living. Mr. Ganesh Savarkar has been released,” the resolution states.

A copy of the 1923 Indian National Congress resolution from the National Archives of India.

“But Mr. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar has not been released and this is the reason why we are making an exception in condemning the action of the Government with regard to one single prisoner. The reason is that this poor man is being most vindictively kept in jail, when he is entitled to be released,” it adds.

Veer Savarkar’s pleas

Satyaki also claimed that it was incorrect to say that the language used in the pleas filed by V D Savarkar himself was “submissive” or “expressed loyalty” to the British government.

“Savarkar was not released due to mercy petitions… My complaint is not related to who has submitted how many petitions and who was released. Therefore, I did not file any document in that respect,” Satyaki Savarkar said in the court on Wednesday.

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Satyaki said his contention is that V D Savarkar had not written any such book as claimed by Rahul Gandhi in his London speech, nor has such an incident ever happened.

As per the court’s directions, the Pune City police conducted an inquiry and submitted a report on May 27, 2024, stating that Rahul Gandhi had allegedly defamed V D Savarkar in his speech.

Rahul Gandhi pleaded not guilty in the defamation case in July last year. The next hearing is on July 7.

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs.

Professional Profile

Specialization:

He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation.

Key Beats:

His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Background:

Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape.

Awards and Recognition:

He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve.

He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry.

1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases

“Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025).

Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links.

“The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025)

Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas.

“How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025)

After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital.

“A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025).

Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train.

“No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025)

Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence.

2. Inter-state firearms racket

"Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025)

"Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025)

Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh

3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams

“Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025)

An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country

‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025)

Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds

Signature Style: The Investigative Hit

Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers.

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