India's Biggest Trial

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 688, 13 June 1929, Page 9

India's Biggest Trial

GANG OF REDS IN COURT “Onward the Revolution!”

(United I*.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and X.Z. Press Association Received 9.30 a.m. DELHI, Wednesday. THE biggest trial in the history of India has opened at Meerut. Thirty-one self-styled Communists, including two Englishmen (one a Cambridge graduate), are charged with conspiracy to wage war on the King.

The court was strongly guarded. The accused, who were escorted by armed police, entered shouting “Down with Imperialism!” “Onward the Revolution!” and other Red slogans. The trial is expected to last three months. There are nearly 400 witnesses. TWO MEN SENTENCED The two men Bhagat Singh and Dutt, who were accused of the bomb outrage in the Delhi Assembly in April, were today sentenced to transportation for life. The charges were attempted murder and being in possession of explosives. When the men were sentenced they cried: “Long live the revolution! Long live the proletariat ! ” DELHI BOMB OUTRAGE Details of the outrage are that when the Legislative Assembly met on April 8 two bombs were thrown down from a gallery. One fell near Sir G. E. Schuster, Finance Member of the Executive Council of the Viceroy of India, who was slightly injured. A panic prevailed. Two men with bombs and pistols in their possession were arrested.

Four Indian members of the House were slightly injured. The Government benches were entirely wrecked. A Red pamphlet headed: “Hindustan Socialist Republican Army Notice.” and signed “Balraj, honorary chief.” was thrown with the bombs. This contained the words: “Long live the revolution.” The two men who were arrested surrendered easily, one of them first firing two shots from a pistol.

The bombs were thrown when the House was crowded. All the doors were immediately locked by the police. The outrage was perpetrated just as Mr. V. J. Patel, president of the Assembly, was about to give a ruling in regard to the Public Safety Bill, designed to give the Government of India power to deport agitators. Just previously the 31 men who are now charged had been arrested in different parts of India. Mr. Patel’s expected ruling was as to whether the discussion of the Bill should be postponed until after the trial of those men.

Sir John Simon was present in the gallery. He was not injured. As chairman of the Indian Commission he had been showing close interest in the working of the Legislative Assembly.