The Death mystery of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose concernes the mysterious circumstances of the alleged death of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, a prominent leader of the Indian Independence Movement against the British Raj of India.

Bose was believed to have died in a plane crash over Taiwan , while flying to Tokyo in August 1945. However, his body was never recovered, and theories concerning his possible survival abound. One such claim is that Bose actually died in Siberia, while in Soviet captivity. Harin Shah, an Indian journalist, visited Taipei, and was shown a plane crash site (supposedly of Bose's plane Photogallery of the crash site).

In May 1956, a four-man Indian team (known as Shah Nawaz Committee) visited Japan to probe the circumstances of Bose's alleged death in the crash of a military aircraft at Taipei on August 18, 1945. Supposedly, a "veil of secrecy" cloaked the "mysterious" tragedy (including some bizarre tales of murder and gems). But Japanese eyewitnesses (including Army surgeons who said they actually conducted blood transfusions for the dying Indian leader) state that Bose's death from injuries sustained in the air crash is indisputably authenticated. In fact, according to some, Nehru did not wish to unveil the mystery behind Bose's disappearance and led to hushing of some important documents. Namboodiri, U. Despite Formosa probe, Nehru closed chapter on Netaji. The Pioneer. URL accessed on 7 April 2006

An important point to note is that nobody in India had ever asked the government of Taiwan, the country where the air crash allegedly took place, for any assistance in the matter. India has never had any diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, and the Indian Government has consistently used this as an excuse not to do so. However, as far back as 1956, the Government of Formosa, as Taiwan was then called, informed a British investigation, that no air crash had occurred in that country between August and October 1945. Details are available in the book "Netaji - Dead or Alive?" by Indian ex-MP, late Shri Samar Guha. The G D Khosla Commission (1970-1974) too could not reach to any conclusion as it failed to take inputs from Taiwan. Published in 1978, Guha's book is the first-ever and easily the most comprehensive compilation on the Netaji disappearance mystery, which effectively trashes the Taihoku air crash story. On the basis of this book, Mr. Morarji Desai, the then Prime Minister of India, rejected the G D Khosla Commission report in Parliament in 1978.

However, the Inquiry Commission under Justice Mukherjee, which investigated the Bose disappearance mystery in the period 1999-2005, obtained information from the Taiwan Government that no plane carrying Bose had ever crashed in Taipei No crash at Taipei that killed Netaji: Taiwan govt OutlookIndia article. URL accessed on 6 April 2006. The Mukherjee Commission also received a report originating from the US State Department, supporting the claim of the Taiwan Government that no such air crash took place during that time frame. Netaji case: US backs Taiwan govt. Times of India. 19 September, 2005. URL accessed on 6 April 2006

It has been reported that a conversation reportedly took place between Josef Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov in 1946 about whether Bose should remain in the Soviet Union, although he is supposed to have died the year before. There are theories that Bose had kept contact with the Soviets after the defeat of the Axis powers became apparent, and travelled to Manchuria instead of Taiwan (Manchuria was occupied by the Soviets in the final days of the war). Documents to this effect are claimed to be in existence.

The Mukherjee Commission submitted its report to the Indian Government on November 8, 2005. The report was tabled in Parliament on May 17, 2006. The probe said in its report that Bose did not die in the plane crash and the ashes at Renkoji temple are not his. However, the Indian Government rejected the findings of the Commission.

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