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On 9th August 1925, revolutionaries of the Hindustan Republican Association looted the Number 8 Down Train near Kakori, which was carrying money from the British government treasury. Their subsequent trial and execution came to be called the Kakori Conspiracy or Kakori Case.
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Background of the Kakori Conspiracy Case
- The train was travelling from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow. It was looted by revolutionary freedom fighters when the train was nearing the town of Kakori in present-day Uttar Pradesh.
- The plan was hatched by Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan. It was executed by Bismil, Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajendra Lahiri, Sachindra Bakshi, Keshab Chakravarty and a few others.
- One of the revolutionaries halted the train by pulling its chain and then they carried out the looting.
- They were able to get around Rs.8000 from the government money bags. Not a single Indian passenger was robbed.
- Unfortunately, a passenger was killed in an accidental firing. This made it a murder case.
- These young revolutionaries, who were HRA members, wanted money to fund their militant activities against the British government. They needed the cash to acquire weapons to carry forward their armed struggle.
- After the incident, the revolutionaries fled to Lucknow. The government started an intense search for them.
- In total, about 40 people were arrested including Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan.
- Chandrashekhar Azad who could not be captured, later shot himself during a shootout with the police in 1931.
- The final verdict of the case was pronounced in July 1927.
- Around 15 people were let off by the court for lack of evidence.
- Ram Prasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Ashfaqullah Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh were awarded death sentences.
- Sachindra Bakshi and Shachindra Nath Sanyal were deported to the cellular jail in Port Blair.
- Others were given imprisonment of varying lengths.
- After the final judgement, the revolutionaries, who were sent to different jails, undertook hunger strikes protesting against the jail conditions and also demanding political prisoner status for them.
- Despite strong protest in India against the death sentences, the government was unwilling to reconsider. The four death sentences were carried out.
- The Kakori case is an important event in the Indian independence movement. The sacrifice and courage of the young leaders inspire people even today.
Also on This Day ______________________________________________________________________________ 1942: Indian National Congress passed the Quit India resolution in its Bombay session. 1942:Â Subhash Chandra Bose formed the Indian National Army in Malaya (Malaysia today). 1970:Â Death of freedom fighter Trailokyanath Chakraborty, who had spent 30 years in prison.
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