Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident? (UPSC Prelims 2025)

Question

The correct answer is [B] Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant. Following the violent incident at Chauri Chaura on February 4, 1922, where a mob set fire to a police station killing 22 policemen, the British government launched a massive legal crackdown.

Legal Defence (Statement B – Correct): Out of the 225 people put on trial, the Sessions Court initially sentenced 172 to death. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya took up the case in the Allahabad High Court. Assisted by Krishna Kant Malaviya, he argued brilliantly for the accused. His advocacy was so effective that he managed to save 151 people from the gallows; the High Court ultimately confirmed death sentences for only 19 and commuted the rest to life imprisonment or long-term jail.
C. R. Das (Statement A – Incorrect): While Chittaranjan Das was a legendary lawyer who defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore Bomb Case, he was heavily involved in the transition from the Non-Cooperation Movement to the formation of the Swaraj Party during this period.
Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew (Statement C – Incorrect): Dr. Kitchlew was a prominent leader of the Khilafat and Rowlatt Satyagraha in Punjab. While he was a lawyer, he is not the primary figure associated with the Chauri Chaura High Court appeal.
M. A. Jinnah (Statement D – Incorrect): Jinnah was a successful lawyer but had distanced himself from the Congress after the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, as he disagreed with the use of mass extra-constitutional agitation.

The Chauri Chaura incident led Mahatma Gandhi to abruptly call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, stating that the country was not yet ready for a non-violent struggle.

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant The correct answer is [B] Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant. Following the violent incident at Chauri Chaura on February 4, 1922, where a mob set fire to a police station killing 22 policemen, the British government launched a massive legal crackdown.

Legal Defence (Statement B – Correct): Out of the 225 people put on trial, the Sessions Court initially sentenced 172 to death. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya took up the case in the Allahabad High Court. Assisted by Krishna Kant Malaviya, he argued brilliantly for the accused. His advocacy was so effective that he managed to save 151 people from the gallows; the High Court ultimately confirmed death sentences for only 19 and commuted the rest to life imprisonment or long-term jail.
C. R. Das (Statement A – Incorrect): While Chittaranjan Das was a legendary lawyer who defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore Bomb Case, he was heavily involved in the transition from the Non-Cooperation Movement to the formation of the Swaraj Party during this period.
Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew (Statement C – Incorrect): Dr. Kitchlew was a prominent leader of the Khilafat and Rowlatt Satyagraha in Punjab. While he was a lawyer, he is not the primary figure associated with the Chauri Chaura High Court appeal.
M. A. Jinnah (Statement D – Incorrect): Jinnah was a successful lawyer but had distanced himself from the Congress after the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, as he disagreed with the use of mass extra-constitutional agitation.

The Chauri Chaura incident led Mahatma Gandhi to abruptly call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, stating that the country was not yet ready for a non-violent struggle.

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