My Encounter with The Police

One day, I went to my house at Central Lane, Babar Road, and was informed that two C.I.D. men were standing outside. My wife’s younger sister who was hardly eleven or twelve, answered innocently that I was inside the house. Immediately, policemen informed their officers about my arrival at the house. In the meantime, I went out from the back door and two other C.I.D. men were standing there to catch me. I slapped and kicked them, and I drove away in my car. I went to my country-house (now the main building of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi Branch) about seven miles away and near the Qutab Minar. At that time, there were hardly two rooms and a hut. I decided to take my driver from my country-house and escape to Mathura or Agra. In the meantime, Rai Sahib Gopal Das, the Additional Superintendent of Police, had been informed about my escape in the car. Probably they were nearabout the place and they followed me. As soon as I reached my house and turned through cultivated land towards the house, someone with a pistol came from the front and stopped my car. I came out of my car. Mr. Jain, Inspector of Police, was pointing his pistol at me, and Gopal Das went on ordering him: “Shoot him at once!” They came closer to me and told me that I was arrested. I replied: “All right, if I am arrested let me put my car in my garage and then I will accompany you.” They tried to manhandle me. They caught hold of my shirt and tore it in the scuffle. So, I caught hold of Mr. Jain’s hand and I wanted to snatch the pistol, but he bit my hand with his teeth. Even now the scars are visible. Gopal Das went on beating me with his stick. In the meantime, my driver reached the place and caught hold of Gopal Das and gave him a good beating. Then I overpowered Jain and snatched his pistol and took them into the hall (which is now the meditation hall of the Ashram). Gopal Das’ ASP was out of breath and begged of me to give him some water and I gave it to him immediately. Afterwards, he requested me to release him and Jain and said that otherwise their service would be at stake. Then he fell at my feet and begged me to return the pistol and release them.

In the meantime, I became little soft probably due to fatigue and Gandhiji’s teaching of non-violence. Ultimately, I had to undergo the imprisonment and felt appropriate to adopt the Gandhian path by surrendering myself to the police. Subsequently, we entered into a gentleman’s agreement. I was to go in my car to my house and they follow me in their official car. I would take my bedding and go to my office at Connaught Circus and I would be ready for being arrested. Accordingly, I went in my car and they followed me. When we reached my residence, there were two lorry loads of policemen with Pandit Sita Ram, Deputy Superintendent of Police at their head. As soon as I got out of the car, the Dy. S.P. caught hold of me. Gopal Das intervened: “We have given him our word of honour. Let him go to his house and from there we can take him.”

The Police Arrest Me

I went into my house and took my bedding. My wife and my younger brother Gurbaksh Lal accompanied me in the car to my office in Connaught Circus. When we reached there another two lorry loads of policemen were standing there with guns and pistols. When I got down from my car and wanted to enter my office, there were already about three thousand people in the corridor who were agitated and furious. Then the situation turned out of control, the public came on the scene with protests and shouts. My wife and myself were dragged from the verandah by the police. My wife caught my leg and she was also dragged with me in the verandah without any consideration and mercy. When the situation became tense and out of control, the Magistrate ordered to shoot me dead. Some police official aimed his pistol at me. But in the meantime, the police surrounded me, caught hold of me and put me in the police van. Sardar Khushdev Singh, Advocate, tried to argue with the police officials. He was also put in the police van and both of us were taken to New Delhi Police Station. This operation was done under the leadership of Mr. R.G. Mellor, Superintenent of C.I.D., New Delhi. When we reached the Police Station, Mr. Mellor beat my driver very severely, and then he started beating me. But I warned him: “We are handcuffed. You must consider that my legs are free and I will knock you down with them. I don’t care for my life. If you like to behave and beat like this...” He gave me one or two kicks. I told him: “If your country were in the same condition like my country and if you were fighting in the same manner like us to free your country, what would be your position?” This brought sense to Mr. Mellor and he stopped beating and shouting. We were put in a cell. My food and bedding were not allowed inside the cell. I was denied even to go to the urinal. The next morning, friends and sympathisers came to see me at the police station. Since my arrest and my scuffle with the Additional Superin tendent of Police was published in the newspapers, scores of English men and women came to see me out of curiosity. The goings on in Mr. Mellor’s office were reported to me by one constable or other, as they were all against Rai Sahib Gopal Das due to his arrogant behaviour.

I was informed that the police officials were framing a case for “attempt of murder” against me and my workers. I heard that they went to my country-house and arrested all my servants and workers including my carpenter, Niranjan Singh. They confiscated the big sticks, carpenter’s saw, hammer, etc. and wanted to claim that they were to be killed by us with these tools and implements. It was reported by a policeman that Gopal Das had removed his shirt and vest, laid it on the table, scratched his back with the saw, brought out a little blood, and produced blood-stained clothes as evidence. Then a medical certificate was taken from the doctor that injuries were caused by the saw. They never mentioned the way in which they had assaulted me or the fight that took place or the way I snatched the pistol from the police official. They deliberately suppressed it.

After two days, I was taken with handcuffs to the Central Jail as undertrial prisoner. I was under trying conditions. My food, bedding and clothes were now allowed to come from my house. There were five or six cases filed by the police against me which were false and fabricated, to secure the maximum punishment for me.

After a few days, I was produced before Mr. Disney, who was the Additional District Magistrate. He knew the story from Rai Sahib Gopal Das who reported on the same day after the scuffle between me and himself at my country house. He told me in jail to behave in a proper manner, and he was considerate as he knew the true story of the case and Rai Sahib’s mischief to implicate me in the alleged murder case. I was handcuffed and taken to the courtroom from time to time. The first hearing took place outside the jail as the court met in a room outside the jail. I was handcuffed, dragged out and produced before the magistrate. My mother, wife and relatives were standing outside. When they saw me, they cried and cried and cursed the police out of anger. When I was taken inside the court, the magistrate asked the police to remove my handcuffs and not to repeat it again in the court. However, I was taken to the court in handcuffs and they removed them outside the court as per the earlier orders of the magistrate.

I was reporting my case every week to Sri Aurobindo from my solitary cell in the Central Jail. In those days, special courts were established by an ordinance of the British Government. In such courts there is neither vakil nor dalil i.e. no lawyer, no arguments, no appeal. Mr. Disney was made a Special Magistrate for such a special court.

When I was in jail, I was suffering from colitis. The doctors examined me and recommended to the government to release me. There was no provision in the Special Court rules for release on bail. However Mr. Disney signed, and hence I was released from the prison.

My release created a stir in Delhi Administration. The Chief Commissioner and Dy. Chief Commissioner were extremely annoyed and held a meeting with the Magistrate and the police officials, wherein it was decided to arrest me. Accordingly, I was rearrested on the day of the next hearing. I was informally told that I might be sentenced to 14 years of Rigorous Imprisonment. I was not at all frightened by this threat. When once I had jumped into the freedom movement, I did not care about such consequences.

When the Special Courts were abolished, my father engaged the seniormost lawyer in Delhi, Shri Rang Beharilal, to defend my case, and an appeal was filed in Lahore High Court. In the High Court, Shri Puri, the leading advocate in Lahore, took up my case. Mr. Tara Chand Mathur was appearing on behalf of Delhi Administration. The High Court ordered the government lawyer to bring more facts of the ‘defective case’ within two days or otherwise they would release the accused. Due to lack of proper evidence the High Court released me on bail. This caused a lot of discomfort to the officials of Delhi Administration. They wanted to arrest me again but saner counsel prevailed as senior officials thought that Lahore High Court may pass strictures against the officials if I was arrested against its orders for my release on bail. The case went on for more than two years.

Shri Rang Beharilal, my advocate, came to the jail and briefed me for the cross-examination. In spite of my initial reluctance due to my Arya Samaj background and Gandhiji’s influence I had to fall in line with my advocate’s guidance. I was in a psychological fix and sought the guidance of Sri Aurobindo. Shri A.B. Purani, a senior disciple of Sri Aurobindo, told me that while he was reading out my letter to Him, He took away the letter from his hand and read it Himself. Puraniji was then asked to convey to me the following message: “Surendranath must take full advantage of the discrepancies of the police. Truth is taken as a whole and not by bits.”

On receipt of the guidance from Sri Aurobindo, I gave my evidence in the cross-examination carefully and I could take advantage of the discrepancies in the police version. Then a very interesting thing happened. My lawyer applied for transfer of my case to some other court as the Magistrate was prejudiced. When I appeared before Mr. Disney, he asked me: “How is it that you don’t have any faith in me?” I told him frankly: “You see, the police has been trying to fabricate false allegations and cases against me for securing long term imprisonment. Naturally my effort and duty is to try my best to defend myself. So, I do not want that this case should be tried by you.” Mr. Disney said: “You should have some faith in me.” I replied: “All right. Then I withdraw my application and you can try my case.”

Ultimately, after about two years the case was decided in my favour and we were acquitted. The Magistrate passed severe strictures against the police for fabricating false allegations against me. This is how this case ended after long suffering and persecution.