Muzaffarpur Bombings and Aftermath
Barin Ghosh sent Hem Chandra Kanungo to Paris in 1907 to study how to make bombs. Hem went back to Bengal and collaborated with Fraser, aiming their efforts at Douglas Kingsford, the Chief Magistrate of the Presidency court in Alipore. Kingsford had presided over the Jugantar editors’ trials and imposed prison sentences on them. Jugantar was financially destroyed by 1908 after five additional prosecutions. Revolutionary nationalism was propagated and popularity was raised by these prosecutions. A Bengali child who was opposing the Jugantar trial was also given a beating by Kingsford. Hem made a book bomb and had it delivered to Kingsford’s residence.
The Plan and its Failure
In Muzaffarpur, Barin’s Anushilan made an attempt to assassinate Kingsford. When they went to Muzaffarpur in April, they brought a black powder fuse, a detonator, and a dynamite bomb. The Calcutta police were notified, but they disregarded the advice. Bose and Chaki examined Muzaffarpur Park on April 29 before hiding the device in a tree. While playing bridge at a club, Bose threw a bomb through the carriage window, seriously wounding both Kingsford and his wife. Bose and Chaki fled the town on their own, but an off-duty police officer detained Chaki and stopped Bose as he tried to flee. Chaki demonstrated his innocence by shooting himself in the mouth.
Arrest
The bombs in Calcutta on May 1, 1908, raised suspicions about Aurobindo and Barin. Halliday accused Aurobindo and the Manicktolla gang, without knowing that Fraser was considering arresting the Samiti leadership of the Ghosh brothers. Eight locations in Calcutta and the suburbs of Manicktolla were searched by police, and an operation was launched. Aurobindo warned Barin and his crew, and they started concealing bombs, guns, and weapons at their headquarters. 33 people, including Aurobindo, Sailen Bose, and Abhinash Bhattacharya, were taken into custody on May 2, 1908. When several police teams raided North Calcutta premises connected to the Ghosh brothers, they found explosives, bombs, and chemicals. Barin was detained in the Maniktala Garden premises together with fourteen other individuals.
Statement by Barin Ghosh
Fearing for the safety of the entire Samiti organization, Barin offered to confess and accept responsibility for the plot and the materials. Barin was joined in written declarations by Ullashkar Dutt, Indubhushan Roy, and Bibhutibhushan Sarkar, who implicated themselves and took full responsibility, believing that they would be given the death punishment in any case. These testimonies were then verified orally in front of a magistrate.
Alipore Bomb Case, 1908
Alipore Bomb Case 1908: The Alipore Bomb Case of 1908 refers to a significant legal and political event during British colonial rule in India. The incident revolved around an attempted assassination of a British judge, Kingsford, and the subsequent trial of several individuals associated with revolutionary activities against the colonial government. This event not only highlighted the clash between imperial authority and nationalist aspirations but also had far-reaching consequences for the trajectory of the Indian independence movement.
In this article, you will learn about Alipore Bombing Case of 1908, along with its background, aftermath, hearing, verdict and the impact of the case on Indian Independence Movement.
Table of Content
- What is the Alipore Bomb Case of 1908?
- Background of Alipore Bomb Case
- Muzaffarpur Bombings and Aftermath
- Initial Hearings of the Alipore Bomb Case
- Alipore Sessions Court
- The Verdict of the Alipore Bomb Case
- Impact of Alipore Bomb Case on Indian Independence Movement
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