KD Madan, the last eye-witness of Gandhi murder case is dead

With the death of KD Madan, the very last link of Gandhi murder case is closed. He had seen Nathuram Godse pumping bullets on frail Mahatma Gandhi from just couple of metres away as he was there to record the daily prayer meeting of Gandhi ji at the Birla House at 5, Albuquerque Road (now 5, Tees January Marg). Madan was 100 and staying at Vasant Vihar. Madan was also there at the Tughlaq Road police station when cops were recording the eye-witness account of Nandlal Mehta, a resident of M-96 Connaught Place, who used to attend the all religion prayer meetings of Gandhi ji.

Well, it was freezing cold in capital on 30th January 1948 and Madan, a sound engineer of All India Radio (AIR) had reached at the Birla House by 4 pm with all his recording machines. That was his daily routine. He was to record the prayer meeting of Gandhi ji. AIR used to air the all religion prayer meetings later at 8.30 in the evening. As he used to sit right behind Gandhi ji, he knew him personally.

A refugee from Pakistan, Madan was fond of bhajans that were sung at prayer meetings. Therefore, he did not miss his prayers since it was started from the second week of September, 1947 after Gandhi ji came to Delhi after quelling riots there. He had vivid memories of 29 January 1948 when MS Subbulakshmi was there at the prayer meeting and mesmerised everyone with the favourite bhajans of Gandhi ji. Naturally, Madan had not thought even in his wildest dreams what is store for all on January 30, 1948.

Despite his ripe age, Madan had vivid memories of that dark day when Gandhi ji was fell to the senseless bullets. At Birla house (now Gandhi Smriti), Madan once recalled the whole incident of 30th January to me, “When Gandhi ji came out for prayer on the fateful day, it was 5.16 p.m. in my watch. Though, it is said that he was shot at 5.17 pm. He was very late in reaching the prayer venue as he was with Sardar Patel. He was stickler for time and generally reach the prayer venue by 5 p.m. come what may.”

“Once Gandhi ji was coming at the venue, we thought that now all religion would start soon. Everybody was feeling the cold weather conditions. The sun was already set in. I remember a guy (later identified as NathuRam Godse) approached Gandhi ji when he was on the way to prayer venue and bowed down with reverence. Manu accompanying Gandhi ji told him, "Please do not disturb him as he is already late" and tried to put him off, but he pushed her aside and shot Gandhi ji three times at point-blank range in the chest with a .38 Beretta semi-automatic pistol.”

Madan narrated the whole gory incident while pointing out the exact spot where Gandhi ji was shot dead. He was almost in tears while recalling those tense moments.

Madan had absolutely contempt for Godse. He never used to utter his name. Talking about Godse, Madan said, “Well, he was a sturdy looking man. He was wearing Khaki clothes. I also saw when cops and others nabbed him,” adding, “During the all religion prayers meetings, Gandhi ji also used to speak on various contemporary issues. Journalists also attend prayers and used to ask questions. ”

“I had developed sheer contempt for him (Godse) that later when newspapers were carrying reports with his names, I used avoid reading those reports. I still do not know as to how cops came at Birla house so soon after the gory incident as Gandhi ji had instructions that no cop should remain close to his prayer meeting even after attempt on his life on 20th January,” Madan recalled.

Later Madan learnt that Jaswant Singh, DSP, Parliament Police station, and Dasondha Singh, SHO of Tughlaq Road police station, were right at the gate of Birla house when Godse shot Gandhi ji. They were on patrolling. As Tughlaq Road Police station was part of the Parliament police station then, both Jaswant Singh and Dasondha Singh were visiting Birla house in order to see for themselves that all is well there. They reached there on their Jeep. Naturally, they too had no idea as to what was happened there.

Understandably, it was chaos all around after Gandhi ji was assassinated. Shocked Madan was there with Nandlal Mehta. Both became friends. He saw the likes of Prime Minister Nehru, Home Minister Sardar Patel, Lord Mountbatten and others reaching at the Birla house in a very disturb state. People were wailing all around at the shock demise of Gandhi ji. At around 7.30 onwards, police took both Mehta and Madan to the 1941 built Tughlaq Road Police station. There the FIR of Gandhi murder case was written on the basis of eye witness account of Mehta. Madan was also helping Mehta. The FIR was finally written by ASI Dalu Ram at 9.45 p.m. DV Sanjeevi, Inspector General, Delhi Police, and his deputies, DW Mehta were also there along with other cops.

At last, Madan reached his home past midnight only to be there at the Birla House again in the morning in order to be part of Gandhi’s funeral procession. And since then he used to attend the prayer meetings at both Rajghat and Gandhi Smiriti on 2 October as well as on 30 January.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)