Earlier this year on March 12, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain a similar plea by Ashis Ray, Netaji’s grandnephew, saying Pfaff should “step forward” and file a petition herself. Though Singhvi submitted that Ray’s petition had the support of Pfaff, who is Netaji’s sole heir, Justice Bagchi had said, “let the heir come before us. If the heir wants the ashes… to be brought back to the country, the heir must come before us”. “How many times will this issue come to the Supreme Court?” In November 2024, the Supreme Court rejected a petition filed by a Cuttack resident who sought an inquiry into Netaji’s death.