Nasik Conspiracy Case

The Nasik Conspiracy Case was a significant political trial during the Indian freedom struggle, centred on the assassination of British official A. M. T. Jackson, the then Collector of Nasik, in December 1909. The case became one of the most notable examples of revolutionary nationalism in western India, highlighting the radical turn taken by young Indian nationalists who sought independence through armed resistance. It drew attention to the activities of secret revolutionary organisations in the Bombay Presidency and their connections to broader revolutionary movements across India.

Background and Political Context

By the early twentieth century, the Indian nationalist movement had begun to polarise into two distinct ideological streams—moderates, who believed in constitutional reforms and petitions, and extremists, who advocated direct action and revolutionary methods. The partition of Bengal in 1905 had intensified anti-British sentiments, fuelling a wave of militant nationalism across the country.
In Maharashtra, particularly in Nasik, Poona, and Bombay, revolutionary ideas were propagated by leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whose writings in Kesari and Mahratta inspired youth to embrace swaraj (self-rule) through assertive means. Secret societies, such as the Abhinav Bharat Society, founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh Savarkar in 1904, became active centres of revolutionary training and ideological indoctrination.

The Assassination of A. M. T. Jackson

Arthur Mason Tippetts Jackson, the British Collector of Nasik, was a scholar of Indian culture and history, respected even among Indian intellectuals. However, his role as a representative of the colonial administration made him a target for revolutionary groups seeking retribution for British oppression.
On the night of 21 December 1909, during a theatrical performance at the Vijayanand Theatre in Nasik, Jackson was shot and killed by Anant Laxman Kanhere, a 19-year-old student associated with revolutionary circles influenced by the Abhinav Bharat Society. Kanhere used a revolver allegedly procured through connections with Savarkar’s network.
The assassination was a retaliatory act following the arrest and prosecution of Indian nationalists under repressive British laws. It was intended to symbolise resistance against colonial rule and inspire further revolutionary activity.

Investigation and Arrests

The British authorities responded swiftly, launching an extensive investigation into the assassination. Police raids across Nasik, Bombay, and Poona uncovered pamphlets, arms, and correspondence linking several revolutionaries to the conspiracy.
Key figures arrested included:

• Anant Laxman Kanhere – the assassin.
• Krishnaji Karve and Vinayak Deshpande – accomplices in the planning.
• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar – accused of instigating and supplying the weapon used in the assassination.
• Ganesh Savarkar – Vinayak’s elder brother and co-founder of Abhinav Bharat.

The police claimed that the revolver used by Kanhere had been sent from London by Savarkar, who was then studying law and leading the Free India Society, a revolutionary organisation abroad.

The Nasik Conspiracy Trial

The trial, known officially as the Nasik Conspiracy Case, commenced in 1910 under the special jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court at Ahmednagar. The proceedings attracted wide public and media attention due to the political nature of the charges and the involvement of prominent nationalist figures.
Anant Kanhere, Karve, and Deshpande were tried first and found guilty of the murder of Jackson. They were sentenced to death by hanging, which was carried out on 19 April 1910 at Thane Jail.
In a parallel proceeding, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was extradited from London after his dramatic attempt to escape British custody at Marseilles in July 1910 failed. He was tried for sedition and conspiracy to wage war against the British government. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to two life imprisonments (totalling fifty years) in the Cellular Jail at Andaman Islands, beginning in 1911.

Revolutionary Networks and Wider Implications

The Nasik Conspiracy Case revealed the depth of revolutionary networks in India and abroad. The British government discovered that Indian students in London, Paris, and India were exchanging revolutionary literature, manufacturing bombs, and plotting attacks on colonial officials.
The case also exposed the linkages between Indian revolutionaries in India, England, and Europe, notably through organisations such as the India House in London, established by Shyamji Krishna Varma and later led by Savarkar. The ideological foundation of these movements drew inspiration from European revolutionary nationalism, advocating violent resistance against imperialism.

British Reaction and Repression

Following the Nasik incident, the British government tightened its surveillance on political activities, introducing stricter laws to curb revolutionary movements. The Indian Press Act of 1910 and the Explosive Substances Act were strengthened to suppress nationalist propaganda and control the dissemination of anti-British material.
Numerous nationalist newspapers were censored or shut down, and suspected revolutionaries were detained without trial. Despite these measures, the execution of Kanhere and imprisonment of Savarkar transformed them into martyrs and symbols of patriotic defiance, inspiring future revolutionaries across India.

Impact on Indian Nationalism

While the Nasik Conspiracy Case was a setback to the revolutionary movement in Maharashtra, it significantly contributed to the rise of militant nationalism in India. The courage and sacrifice of the young conspirators resonated deeply among the youth, leading to renewed revolutionary activity in Bengal and Punjab in subsequent years.
The case also demonstrated the limitations of purely violent methods, prompting later leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi to advocate non-violent resistance (satyagraha) as an alternative path to freedom. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Nasik revolutionaries persisted as a testament to India’s uncompromising demand for independence.

Historical Significance

The Nasik Conspiracy Case occupies a pivotal place in India’s freedom struggle as an early organised act of political assassination directed against British authority. It symbolised a turning point in Maharashtra’s nationalist movement from intellectual dissent to active resistance.
The trial also propelled Vinayak Damodar Savarkar into national prominence, influencing later revolutionary organisations such as the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and the Ghadar Movement. Moreover, it underscored the transnational dimension of Indian nationalism, linking revolutionary networks across continents.