DR. PANKAJ KUMUDCHANDRA PHADNIS vs UNION OF INDIA MINSITRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Punjab High Court, which had confirmed the convictions of Nathuram Godse and others for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The Court rejected the petitioner's plea to reopen the case based on new research, emphasizing that the truth of the assassination is well established and that reopening concluded criminal cases is not permissible under law. The Court reiterated that the evidence presented during the original trial, including eyewitness accounts and forensic findings, substantiated the conviction and that the nation’s right to know does not extend to revisiting settled matters without substantial grounds.