Shankar Kistaiya

A group photo of people accused in the Mahatma Gandhi's murder case. Standing: Shankar Kistaiya, Gopal Godse, Madanlal Pahwa, Digambar Badge (Approver). Sitting: Narayan Apte, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Nathuram Godse, Vishnu Karkare

Shankar Kistaiya was an accused in Mahatma Gandhi's assassination case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment but was acquitted by the High Court.

Early life

Not much is known about Shankar Kistaiya's early life except for the fact that he was employed by Digambar Ramchandra Badge and his mother tongue was Telugu. Shankar used to help Badge as a domestic servant as well as an assistant in Badge's Shop.

Role in assassination

Shankar Kishtiya had accompanied the group from Pune to Delhi in the capacity of Badge's servant. However during his stay in Delhi the entire group utilized his services as a servant.

Shankar Kishtiya was entrusted the role of back up for Badge on the failed attempt of 20 January. After the failed attempt he had followed Badge out of Birla House and had returned with him to Pune. He was arrested from Pune.

The lower trial court held that Shankar Kistaiya was an integral part of the group and sentenced him to life imprisonment, but he was acquitted by the High Court on 22 June 1949 in response to his appeal.^[1]

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