Fact Check: The picture shows Shankaracharya of Puri with Subhas Chandra Bose not Gajanan Maharaj

Vishvas News (New Delhi): Vishvas News found that a image was being widely shared on social media with claims that freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose was clicked along with Sant Gajanan Maharaj of Akola. However, Vishvas News in its investigation found that the man in the picture was not Gajanan Maharaj but Shankaracharya of Puri.

Claim:
Facebook user Dinesh Rambhia posted a photo of Subhas Chandra Bose on 16 September in a group, ‘Aathavanitli Marathi Gaani’ and claimed that this was a rare photo of Sri Sant Gajanan Maharaj and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It is also being claimed that since Gajanan Maharaj used to visit Akola, it was clicked by a devotee in Ramdaspeth, Akola at his studio. The negative of the photo is still preserved.

Check the post and its archive version here.

Investigation:

Vishvas News started its investigation with google reverse image search. We found numerous results for the photo.

We found this photo posted on the Twitter handle #IndianHistory @RareHistorical posted on April 5, 2016. ‘Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose with Shankaracharya of Puri-Orissa‘ the post said.

We also found the image being shared on the verified Twitter handle of Congress.

According to the website, betterphotography.in the photo was clicked by Manoranjan Ghosh.

We also checked who the other person in the picture was. Through Google Reverse Image Search Vishvas News came to know that the other person in the picture was, ‘Colonel’ Nizamuddin, the forgotten driver who took 3 bullets to save Netaji Bose.

It was now clear that the other two people along with Subhas Chandra Bose in the picture are, Shankaracharya of Puri and Col Nizamuddin.

In the next step of investigation Vishvas News reached out to Ambarish Pundlik who has studies to his credit on Subhas Chandra Bose. He said, “Gajanan Maharaj took Samadhi in 1910 while Subhas Chandra Bose was born in 1897. If the calculations are considered, in 1910 he would have been of 13 years. Looking at the picture, this rules out the probablity that Subhas Chandra Bose was clicked along with Gajanan Maharaj. The person seen in the picture is Shankaracharya of Puri. “

Vishvas News then did a social background check of the user who shared the image. Dinesh Rambhia is a resident of Mumbai and the group ‘आठवणीतली मराठी गाणी’ has over 3.3 lakh members.