Mahatma Gandhi, a few minutes after his death

Original image of Mahatma Gandhi a few minutes after his death

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948, shot at point-blank range by Nathuram Godse. 

Since 1934, there had been five unsuccessful attempts to kill Gandhi. 

Nathuram approached Gandhi on the way to a prayer meeting and bowed. A girl accompanying Gandhi told Godse, "Brother, Bapu is already late" and tried to put him off, but Godse pushed her aside and shot Gandhi three times at point-blank range in the chest with a .38 Beretta semi-automatic pistol. 

The original F.I.R. filed on 30 January 1948, at 9.45 p.m. by Nandlal Mehta

....People were standing on both the sides and approximately three feet of vacant space was left for the Mahatma to pass through. As per the custom the Mahatma greeted the people with folded hands. He had barely covered six or seven steps when a person whose name I learnt later as Narayan Vinayak Godse, resident of Poona, stepped closer and fired three shots from a pistol at the Mahatma from barely 2 / 3 feet distance which hit the Mahatma in his stomach and chest and blood started flowing. Mahatma ji fell backwards, uttering "Hey - Raam".