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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
From Kakori to Aminabad, twin sites resonate with spirit of freedom fighters' valour
History merges with the timeless appeal of valour in the quest for freedom at the sleepy village of Kakori, about 20 km from the state capital, and the 120-year-old Chhedi Lal Dharmshala in a busy lane of Aminabad in the heart of Lucknow. The two sites pulsate with the spirit of patriotism even 100 years after the Kakori Train Action that dealt a blow to the British government's prestige. The Chhedi Lal Dharmshala in Aminabad, Lucknow. (Mushtaq Ali/HT Photo) A visit to Room No. 227 on the first floor of the Chhedi Lal Dharmshala conjures images of the day when Ram Prasad Bismil and his nine fellow freedom fighters might have come in while quietly planning the Kakori Action for August 8, 1925 initially. The room is the only renovated one at the dharmshala. 'We thought it should be honoured in the name of those who gave up their lives for the cause of freedom. We got the room renovated in 2019,' said dharmshala manager Ram Nath Gupta. In his book 'Lucknow ka Krantiteerth', Udai Khatri, historian and son of freedom fighter Ramkrishna Khatri, mentions that most of the revolutionaries stayed at Chhedi Lal Dharmshala, not as a group but as strangers. 'At the decided time, they all assembled and began walking towards the railway station. However, once they reached it, they found out that they missed the Number 8 down-train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, making them shift their plan for the next day,' the book mentions. They decided to take no chances and left Lucknow to reach the previous station and boarded the train on August 9. Three of them –Ashfaqullah Khan, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Sachindra Nath Bakshi – took second class tickets. The others, including Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandrashekhar Azad, Mukundilal, Murarilal, Kundanlal, Banwarilal and Manmathnath Gupta, travelled third class and spread over the entire train, said Prof Aroop Chakrabarty, former head of the medieval and modern history department of Lucknow University. 'Those in the second class pulled the chain, the abrupt stoppage led to some commotion. The members jumped out to execute the plan. One of them rushed towards the engine while another headed to overpower the guard and take charge of the railway treasury,' Chakrabarty said. 'Carrying Germany-made Mauser pistols, they were quick to overpower the guard who was made to lie down on his belly. Two men stood on each side of the railway line while another group pushed out the heavy iron safe carrying railway collections from the stations on the route. Two of them who carried a huge hammer and chisel got into action on the safe. They fearlessly worked on the mission, however, when they saw a train progressing near them, they became a bit panicky, but they continued to accomplish the task and the train whistled off,' he said. Mita Bakshi, granddaughter of freedom fighter Sachindra Nath Bakshi who faced trial in the case, said the mission was planned to get more funds to buy more Mauser pistols from Germany. 'The members of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association had accomplished several small missions in villages and all those involved in any of these missions were taken under trial as part of the Kakori Train Action case,' Mita Bakshi said. As per an archival document (Hindustan Times has a copy) , a case was registered in the name of 28 people under Sections 121 (A) and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code read with Sections 396 and 302 of IPC after the three complaints by an English officer Horton. 'Mr Horton explains the cartridges which were recovered from the scene of the train dacoity – He says that were ten 300 bore German pistol cartridges. Three other and two more similar cartridges were marked respectively. Out of all these cartridges, twelve were marked DWMKK and one of these was loaded. All these were Mauser pistol cartridges,' the document reads. It also mentions that cash worth ₹3541, 3 paisa and 6 annas, GC notes worth ₹1012 and vouchers worth ₹125 and 14 paisa were carried away by the freedom fighters. Once the revolutionaries were arrested, the case began at Roshan-ud-daula Kachehri in December where Syyed Amin-ud-din was assigned as the special magistrate. 'Lucknow ki Chaya Mein,' a book by Ramkrishna Khatri, gives an account of the trial. 'A large number of people turned up outside the court and once our handcuffs were opened, one could not make out a difference between those accused and the public. Sighting the situation, police sought permission (for the freedom fighters) to be brought with bedis (cuffs with chains around the neck). However, we refused to wear the bedis, police forced us to wear them. They had two lorries and each lorry had five to six individuals at a time. While forcefully tying bedis, one amongst us, Vishnu Sharan Dubish got hurt in the leg on which we raised slogans - 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', 'Bhartiya Prajatantra ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram while reaching the kachahari,' the book reads. Another passage in the book mentions Basant Panchmi day in 1926 when revolutionaries tied saffron handkerchiefs and sang 'Rang de Basanti Chola' on their way. The next day, several people with saffron caps turned up from Kanyakubja College (now Jai Narain PG College) to the court and all sang 'Rang de Basanti Chola'. After a six-month trial at the Roshan-ud-daula Kachehri, the court shifted to a special sessions court with Hamilton as the special judge at the Rink Theatre (where the General Post Office stands today). The trial continued there for 10 to 11 months. Historian Ravi Bhatt said when the revolutionaries were in prison, some jailers and employees brought their family members to see them as a mark of respect. A letter by Sachindra Nath Bakshi to the Home Member of Government of United Province, mentions some demands made by them. It included at least 12 annas' diet as per their preference, one standard daily newspaper, dress, bedsheets and cots along with soaps, toothpaste, toothbrushes, indoor games. When freedom fighters assembled for action The Kakori Shaheed Smarak stands tall at Bajnagar village. Clad in dhoti-kurta, Munnilal Rajput (75), the caretaker with a wooden stick, recounts an eyewitness account he heard from his grandmother. 'My grandparents were devotees at a temple situated on the Shaheed Smarak compound. My grandmother told me that she was performing puja on August 8, 1925 (the day before the Kakori Train Action) when a group of young men entered the premises and began planning something. After some time, they left for the station but they failed to board the train. However, they turned up again at the same time and, barring a few others, went to the station again and the rest is history,' Rajput said. He said that he considers the freedom fighters as revered as the deities in the temple. 'I spend my entire day at the Smarak, cleaning the statues and helping the visitors to the place,' he added. The room of freedom fighter Ramkrishna Khatri has paintings of many freedom fighters. Khatri's grandson Rohit Khatri said that his grandfather got them painted when he was alive and the family has maintained the legacy.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Steal, Sell, Steal Again: Crime Branch Nabs Vehicle Thief!
Nagpur: In a meticulous operation, the crime branch on Sunday arrested 28-year-old Nilesh, also known as Abhi Kadbe, exposing a cunning vehicle theft racket with a twist. Kadbe would sell stolen vehicles at low prices, only to steal them back from the buyers. His arrest also led to the discovery of a Mauser pistol with live ammunition in his possession, adding a dangerous element to his crimes. Kadbe, a resident of Dhammajyoti Nagar, was nabbed in Kapil Nagar following a tip-off about an armed suspect. Senior inspector Sandeep Buwa, under DCP Rahul Maknikar, led the operation. During interrogation, Kadbe confessed to buying the firearm from an individual named Altaf in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, claiming it was for self-protection against potential retaliation from his deceived victims. Police revealed Kadbe's unique modus operandi. "He would steal vehicles, make duplicate keys and fake documents, sell them at low prices, and then track the buyers to steal the vehicles back," a senior officer explained. In one incident in Amravati, Kadbe sold a stolen two-wheeler, followed the buyer to a shrine, and used a duplicate key to take back the vehicle while the buyer was praying. In another instance, he pretended to be a buyer for a sports bike advertised in Amravati, took it for a test drive and escaped with the vehicle. Kadbe confessed to seven vehicle thefts in Nagpur and Amravati. The crime branch has recovered stolen two-wheelers — a Yamaha and two Activa scooters — along with a Mauser, four mobile phones, a car key, an iron rod, an iron hammer, a vehicle number plate, an RC book, a mobile charger, a bag, and Rs12,400 cash, totalling approximately Rs3.27 lakh. These seized items and Kadbe were handed over to Kapil Nagar police for further investigation. With Kadbe's arrest, police have dismantled a sophisticated theft network. The cops are now probing whether Kadbe was having any accomplices while carrying out the crimes and his role in any cases.
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
August 2, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Who Killed Makens
Lalit Maken and his wife, Geetanjali, were in all probability victims of terrorist bullets, police sources said. According to the sources, all the leads uncovered so far seem to indicate the involvement of terrorists rather than trade union or political rivals — particularly the sophisticated weapons used and the modus operandi of the killers. Although they are still trying to confirm whether the weapons were Sten guns or semi-automatic Mauser pistols, police suspicions are on the latter. Home Minister S B Chavan's statement and replies in both houses of Parliament on Thursday over the assassination of Lok Sabha member Lalit Maken and his wife, while failing to quench the anguish and concern being felt by members both inside and outside the houses, also laid bare the bureaucratic and procedural loopholes in the intelligence and law-and-order machinery in the capital. One question that was agitating the members was why Maken's security guard was withdrawn just two days before the assassination. India is understood to have again conveyed to Pakistan during the current round of talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries its grave concern about the assistance that the terrorists had been getting from across the border. It is understood that the concern was also about Pakistan's nuclear programme. India made a gesture of goodwill towards Bangladesh when it reportedly agreed to sign a fresh agreement on sharing of Ganga waters. Sources close to the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's special envoy, Shiv Shankar, during a meeting with President Ershad indicated the country's willingness to renew the agreement, which expired on January 31 this year. It may be made functional for three to five years.
Hans India
02-07-2025
- Hans India
Gangster Salman, illegal arms supplier arrested in Rajasthan
Jaipur: Two criminals, gangster Salman Khan and his aide Rakesh Kumar, have been arrested in Rajasthan, and a huge cache of illegal arms has been seized from their possession, police said on Wednesday. In a major crackdown on organised crime and the illegal arms trade, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in collaboration with Pratapgarh Police, carried out a successful operation, resulting in the seizure of 14 illegal foreign and indigenous weapons, 1,860 cartridges, and 10 magazines. The arrest and arms seizure exposed a widespread network of illegal arms in the region. Acting on a tip-off, a special team, comprising ASI Shankar Dayal Sharma, Head Constables Suresh Kumar and Kamal Singh, and Constables Naresh Kumar, Ratiram, and Suresh Kumar (driver), was dispatched to Banswara, Pratapgarh, and Chittorgarh. The first breakthrough came on June 28 when Chhoti Sadari Police arrested Rakesh Kumar (48), a resident of Jhalawar, from the Chhoti Sadari–Neemuch road with a pistol in his possession. Rakesh was a crucial link in the arms smuggling chain, and his arrest opened up a new trail. During interrogation, Rakesh disclosed information about another major player in the crime world, Salman Khan (38), a resident of Nagda, Ujjain. Salman, already lodged in Banswara Jail for an extortion case, was taken on a production warrant by the AGTF, and his interrogation revealed startling facts. According to police, Salman's father, Sher Khan Pathan, was a cop. However, Pathan, who also indulged in criminal activities, was killed in a police encounter. Despite having 90 bighas of ancestral land, Salman chose a criminal life and indulged in land grabbing and violence under the guise of property dealing. To escape legal pressure, Salman fled to Dubai using a fake passport. Before leaving, he mortgaged his cache of illegal arms to his associate Mohammad Nawaz from Ratlam for Rs 30 lakh, intending to reclaim it after release. Based on Salman's revelations, the police recovered a significant stockpile of illegal weapons and ammunition from the Chhoti Sadari area. The cache included a 12-bore pump-action gun, a .22 bore rifle, three .22 bore revolvers, one .32 bore automatic Mauser, and eight .32 bore pistols. Additionally, ten empty magazines, two magazine fillers, and a large quantity of cartridges of various bores were also seized. Salman already has multiple criminal cases registered against him, including assault, criminal intimidation, theft, attempt to murder, extortion, Arms Act, and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act violations. Further investigation is underway to identify and arrest other individuals involved in the network.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
Man Held with Illegal Firearm at Kandri Bus Stop, Mauser Pistol Seized
Nagpur: The local crime branch (LCB) of Nagpur rural police has arrested a 24-year-old man in possession of a Mauser pistol at the Kandri bus stop under the jurisdiction of Ramtek Police Station. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to the police, the accused, Rajat Dondalkar, a resident of Kandri Mines in Mansar, was allegedly preparing to commit a crime. During a frisking operation conducted in the presence of police witnesses, authorities recovered a country-made pistol and two live cartridges from the suspect. Upon questioning, Dondalkar admitted that he did not possess a valid arms license. He further revealed that he had procured the weapon about a year ago from a man identified as Shahrukh alias Saurabh Rajput, a resident of Betul, Madhya Pradesh. Based on these findings, a case has been registered at Ramtek Police Station against both Rajat Dondalkar and Shahrukh under Sections 3, 5, and 25 of the Arms Act, 1959. Dondalkar has been taken into custody, while efforts are ongoing to trace and apprehend the second accused in Madhya Pradesh.
