Supreme Court allows withdrawal of plea to bring back Netaji's mortal remains from Tokyo temple

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday (March 12, 2026) allowed Ashis Ray, senior journalist and a grand nephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, to withdraw his petition seeking the repatriation or facilitation of the return of the mortal remains of the freedom fighter and the founder of the Indian National Army from a temple in Tokyo.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi conveyed to senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for Mr. Ray, that it would prefer to have Netaji’s sole heir and daughter, Anita Bose Pfaff, approach it with the prayer directly.

“I am indebted to the Honourable Supreme Court of India for kindly hearing my petition seeking directions to bring Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s mortal remains from Tokyo to India. I respect the court’s view that it would prefer to receive a direct application from Netaji’s daughter and sole heir Professor Anita Bose Pfaff on the matter. Accordingly, I will request Professor Bose Pfaff to favourably consider the court’s opinion. She attended the hearing via live video,” Mr. Ray said in a statement later in the day.

The petition highlighted the Union government’s “prolonged failure to take a final, reasoned, and time-bound decision to repatriate (or at least facilitate repatriation) to India the mortal remains preserved at Renko-Ji Temple in Tokyo”.

“So that Netaji’s daughter may perform final rites in India with dignity and finality,” the petition submitted.

It drew attention to the consistent public pleas made by Ms. Pfaff for the transfer of Netaji’s mortal remains to India.

Netaji is believed to have died in an air crash at Taihoku (Taipei) while travelling onward from Singapore after the Japanese surrendered to the Allied Powers in 1945. His mortal remains were transported to Tokyo in early September 1945.

His remains had been at the Renko-Ji Temple for over 80 years — preserved and honoured by successive head priests — forming a continuing state of affairs of “posthumous exile” and non-closure for Netaji’s family, the petition had said.