Kolkata: Two relatives of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Calcutta High Court, urging the central government to take concrete steps to prevent the distortion of Indian freedom movement history and the legacy of national heroes—particularly Netaji—through films and various forms of media.

Petitioners Saumya Shankar Bose and Chandra Kumar Bose alleged that the lives and achievements of figures like Netaji are being misrepresented in the public domain, often through sensationalized or fictional portrayals for commercial gain. They emphasized that the Government of India has already conducted several inquiry commissions into Netaji’s life and disappearance, with the reports published and accepted in Parliament.

Despite these official findings, the petitioners claimed that various unverified theories—often pushed through films, books, and digital media—continue to mislead the public. They cited examples such as the theory that Netaji lived in disguise in independent India, which was rejected by all government-appointed commissions, including the Justice Sahai Commission of Uttar Pradesh, which specifically dismissed the claim that ‘Gumnami Baba’ was Netaji.

Their petition argues that Netaji Bose is not a mythical or fictional figure, and therefore, his life story should not be subject to conjecture, imagination, or conspiracy theories. They insisted that only historically verified facts should be presented to the public, and that all representations of the freedom movement and Netaji’s legacy in films, books, or media must undergo fact-checking before release.

Their legal counsel, advocate Sattwik Majumder, said on Sunday that the PIL is likely to be listed for hearing in the coming week.