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Ques 11: You have already said that Netaji discussed
about his future plan of action in the last Cabinet Meeting.
What were the main issues?
Ans. The main issue for discussion in that meeting was whether
Netaji should surrender along with the entire INA force or
he should escape leaving being the INA personnel to surrender.
There were suggestions and counter-suggestions from members
of the Cabinet, particularly the Army members, but no clear
decision on this issue was taken. On one point however Netaji
took a firm decision. It was decided that all the members
of the Rani Jhansi Regiment should be sent back to their homes.
Ques 12: In the issue dated 4th December, 2000 of
Ananda Bazar Patrika there is a news item titled "Laxmi
Sehgal says, death of Netaji occurred in the plane crash".
Did you make any such statement?
Ans.Yes, and I still believe that Netaji died on August 18,
1945 at Taipei. I also believe that the ashes kept in the
Renkoji Temple in Japan are the ashes of Netaji.
Ques 13: In the same news item in Ananda Bazar Patrika,
a Bengali daily, you have been quoted as saying that after
the fall of Japan "we received an information that Netaji
would go to Taipei from Saigon and thereafter he would proceed
secretly to Manchuria". Is it correct?
Ans. I have not been correctly quoted. After the fall
of Japan we received an information that Netaji would go to
Taipei from Saigon, but we had no information then that he
would go to Manchuria. We did not know whether he would go
to Tokyo or Manchuria. (The paper-cutting is marked as
Exhibit - 22 and last three lines marked as Exhibit-22/1).
Ques 14: On the birthday of Netaji on January 23,
2001, you were in Calcutta. Is it correct?
Ans. - Yes.
Ques 15: Now I draw your notice to a news item titled
"The death of Netaji was in the plane crash, says Lakshmi".
They have stated that on the Netaji's birthday on Tuesday,
his close fighter Lakshmi Sehgal unambiguously informed the
journalists in the presence of all that death of Netaji occurred
in the plane crash at Taipei on August 18,1945.
Ans.Yes, this is correct. I said so on 24.1.2001. (The
paper-cutting is marked as Exhibit-23).
Ques 16: The aforesaid news item appeared in the issue
dated January 24, 2001 of the Ananda Bazar Patrika, a Bengali
daily. In the said news item you have been quoted as saying
that in your opinion the mystery of disappearance of Netaji
is nothing but a fancied imagination of some self-seekers.
Is it correct?
Ans. I do not remember to have made any such comment. They
did not read over to me what they had written down inspite
of my requests to read over the same to me (Exhibit 23/1).
Ques 17: In the same news item in the Ananda Bazar
Patrika, you have been quoted as saying I was his daily companion.
So I know much more than many commissions or detective reports
what had actually happened at Taipei on August 8, 1945".
Is it correct?
Ans. I did not make any such statement. As I have already
said, I was not present at Taipei at the time of the occurrence
and as such there cannot be any question of my making any
such claim. I could not be his constant companion. He was
the the Supreme Commander, while I was a Captain (Exhibit
23/2).
Ques 18: In the same news item you have further been
quoted as saying "I am certain that Netaji died in the
plane crash at Taipei on August 18, 1945. The matter of his
disappearance has now become a myth". Is it correct?
Ans. - Yes, I said so. (The relevant portion is marked
as Exhibit/23/3).
Ques 19: In the aforesaid news item in the Ananda
Bazar Patrika dated December 4, 2000 you have been quoted
as saying "I do not think that this Commission will be
able to come to any truth other than that of the earlier two
Commissions." Is it correct?
Ans. Yes. In my opinion this Commission will not be able to
get hold of any new facts. (The relevant portion is marked
as Exhibit 22/2).>
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