Stories of Bengalee Life/Swift Retribution/Chapter 3
III
The next morning there was a great sensation in the official circles, owing to this European assault case. The District Magistrate's temper was on fire. He issued strict orders on the Police to complete the investigation and send up the accused persons for trial within three days. The town Sub-Inspector Badan Chandra Ghose, took up the investigation. Foregoing food and sleep he rummaged the town all day long in search of evidence. He arrested a few junior pleaders and mukhtears, and also some students noted for their robust constitution.
The investigation made a rapid progress during the first day. The next morning at six o'clock, Doctor Hara Govind was sitting in the front verandah of his house, enjoying his early morning hooka, when the Sub-Inspector, dressed in his dhoti and chudder made his appearance. He had a silver mounted Malacca cane in his hand which he was swinging to and fro sportively. His face was beaming with a self-complacent smile.
The Doctor Babu welcomed his visitor and begged him to be seated.
After a few commonplace observations the Daroga said—"It has become difficult for me to keep my job, Doctor Babu."
"How so?" queried the Doctor, somewhat surprised.
"That Sahib-assault case of day before yesterday will bring me to grief I fear,"—responded the Sub-Inspector in a plaintive tone.
The Doctor with a smile faintly sarcastic, remarked—"But you have arrested a good many of the culprits, haven't you?"
"Yes, I have,"—replied the Daroga—"but I have failed to collect much evidence, so far."
"If there isn't any satisfactory evidence, what led you to arrest them?"—and the Doctor again indulged in a smile full of meaning.
"Oh, I have arrested the right persons, sure enough. Those fellows are great ruffians. Many a time have I seen the Magistrate-Sahib driving along and these lads, coming from the opposite direction, let the Magistrate-Sahib pass by without even salaaming him."
"Is it on that ground that you have arrested them?"
"Oh no, no,—not at all,"—replied the Daroga with vehemence.—"There is no doubt that they assaulted the Englishman. I have got witnesses too—but not what the Courts call credible witnesses."
"If the witnesses are not credible, surely you ought not to keep these men in hajat,"—observed the Doctor Babu.
The Sub-Inspector said with a shudder—"If I let them off,—I shouldn't remain in my post long, Doctor Babu. There is only one day intervening. The trial begins the day after to-morrow. That's what I have come to you for."
"To me?"—queried the Doctor, somewhat surprised.—"To me?—But how can I help you?"
"You can Doctor Babu,—of course you can,"—grinned the Daroga and continued in a tone extremely polite and solicitous—"I hear that you were present there,—so I have come to beg you to give evidence in this case."
"I was present there at the Station no-doubt, but not on the platform where all this happened. I came on the scene when the assult had been over. The assailants had dispersed before that. So how can I say who assaulted the Sahib?"
The Sub-Inspector looked as though he was very much vexed with himself. "Is that so? I have made a mess of it then. I wish I had known—I really do,"—he said.
"What's the matter, Daroga Babu?"
The Daroga shook his head slowly, pursed up his lips and looked at the ceiling. Then, in a regretful voice, he murmured—"I am so sorry. I have created trouble for you—but how could I know?"
"What have you done?"—asked the Doctor Babu rather anxiously.
Slowly, the Daroga proceeded to explain—"You see, it was in this way. Yesterday afternoon the District Magistrate was at the Club and he sent for me. I went and stood there, salaaming him. 'Well, Daroga'—he said—'have you collected good and strong evidence in the European assault case?'—'Yes Huzoor',—I replied—'There are a constable and two chowkidars who saw the whole occurrence and can identify all the accused.' The Magistrate seemed to be very angry at this. 'Nonsense'—he exclaimed—'a constable and two chowkidars? Couldn't you find out any credible witnesses?' The bloodshot eyes of the Magistrate Sahib threw me into such a state of confusion that I did not know what I was saying. 'Yes, Dharamawatar,'—I faltered out—'there is the Government Doctor, Hara Govind Babu who also was present there and recognised all the accused persons.' 'All right'—said the Magistrate Sahib,—and walked off to the tennis court."
The Doctor felt very much annoyed. "You ought not to have said this to the Magistrate without ascertaining if it was a fact,"—he said.
"But how am I to blame, Sir? You were present there, you brought the gentleman to the Hospital, how should I know that you did not witness the occurrence?"
"Well—all that you can do now is to go back to the Magistrate and tell him the real facts."
"Oh no Doctor Babu, how can that be?"—the Daroga burst out. "What? Blow hot and cold in the same breath? I am not the man to say one thing to-day and the opposite thing to-morrow. I am a man of my word—and I stick to my word through thick and thin,—come what may."
The Doctor smiled. He then said—"I will go and tell the Magistrate Sahib myself."
The Daroga held up his hand in solemn warning. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Doctor Babu." Then after a little pause, he said—"Do you know what the consequence will be?"
"What?"
"It is an official secret and perhaps I am betraying the Government in disclosing it to you. But I am your friend and I shall do it. Listen,"—and the Daroga said in slow and solemn words—"You are already in the bad books of the the Government, because it is known to the Sahibs that you have abandoned Manchester cloth in favour of country-made dhotis and are no longer eating Liverpool salt. If you go now and tell the Magistrate Sahib that you did not see the assault on the European gentleman, he would naturally think that you are unwilling to depose as a witness because it is a Swadeshi case."
"Is it disloyalty to wear Bombay-made dhotis and eat country salt then?"—the Doctor flared up.—"Besides, what has Swadeshi to do with this assault, pray?"
The Daroga replied with great composure—"Don't excite yourself, Doctor Babu. Don't you see how times are? Granted, it is not disloyalty to eat country salt and wear Bombay cloth. Granted, this assault has nothing whatever to do with the Swadeshi movement. But they think it so. You cannot alter that fact. What's the use of beating your head against the wall?"
This had the desired effect on the poor Doctor. "Yes, I suppose you are right. But the question is how am I to get out of it?"—has said.
Very much pleased at the prospect of bringing his host down from the high horse he was riding, the Daroga said—"You must make the best of the situation, Sir. Just half an hour in the witness box wouldn't harm you much. Shall we walk to the thana now? You will see the accused there confined in the hajat. You ought to have a good look at them now, so that there may be no mistake when identifying them in Court. I will also read out to you the case-dairy from which you will know what the other witnesses are going to say before the Magistrate. Nothing like being thoroughly prepared beforehand."
There was an immediate explosion. Hara Govind Babu stood up, trembling with indignation. Shaking his fist at the Sub-Inspector he said—"What? You dare propose that to me? You think I am the man to give false evidence, do you? Get out at once.—Anybody there?—Kick this wretch of a Daroga out of the house."
Babu Badan Chandra rose. Adjusting his chudder round his neck, he said—"Take care, Sir. You will have to smart for this."
Hara Govind Babu shouted out—"You can do your worst. Go and tell your father[1] the Magistrate Sahib—I don't care."
- ↑ This is a common form of abuse in India.