Savarkar defamation case: Relative tells Pune court Nehru executed pro-British policies

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 11:32 AM IST

Satyaki Savarkar told Special MP/MLA court that it was his personal opinion that his granduncle V D Savarkar (right) would have been appointed prime minister of India had he compromised with the British in 1946.

Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of freedom fighter and right-wing ideologue V D Savarkar, on Tuesday told a Pune special court hearing a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru was against Subhash Chandra Bose and implemented policies favourable to the British.

During his cross-examination by Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, Satyaki told the Special MP/MLA Court that it was his personal opinion that his granduncle would have been appointed prime minister had he compromised with the British in 1946.

Satyaki had filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged objectionable remarks against Savarkar during a speech in London on March 5, 2023.

Satyaki said the British government had seized all land and residential properties of V D Savarkar, revoked his Barrister’s degree and sentenced him to suffer imprisonment and detention for 27 years. “This means that he was not a British agent. He was not close to the British. Any ruler gives an important position to a person close to him,” Satyaki said.

He further claimed, ”Nehru had said, ‘Hitler and Japan must go to hell. I shall fight them to the end, and this is my policy. I shall also fight Mr Subhash Chandra Bose and his party along with Japan if he comes to India. Mr Bose acted very wrongly though in good faith’.”

Satyaki told the court that this established Nehru’s opposition towards Bose and he implemented policies favourable to the British Government.

When contacted, Satyaki said he had quoted the facts from ‘Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru’.

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When advocate Pawar cited Mahatma Gandhi’s letter for not accepting the facilities offered by the British while at Yerwada prison in 1930, Satyaki said he did not know whether his grand-uncle took the same stance.

During the previous hearings, Satyaki had said that the British government had rejected Savarkar’s clemency petitions and expressed concern that if he was released (from Andaman jail), he would again participate in revolutionary activities and cause a danger to British rule.

On Tuesday, Satyaki told the court that Madam Cama, Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi, Yashwantrao Chavan and Sharad Pawar had also made laudatory remarks about Savarkar.

In March 2023, while delivering a speech to members of the Indian diaspora in London, Rahul Gandhi had contrasted the actions of early independence leaders with Savarkar and allegedly said Savarkar had written a book stating that he and some of his friends felt delighted by beating up a Muslim. According to Satyaki, Savarkar had not written any such book, nor had such an incident ever happened.

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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 Savarkar in his London speech. Rahul Gandhi pleaded not guilty in the defamation case.

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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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