Saunders Murder Case and Revolutionary Politics

The Saunders Murder Case, officially prosecuted as the Second Lahore Conspiracy Case, represents a major turning point in the radical phase of the Indian freedom struggle. The catalyst for this event emerged during the nationwide protests against the all-British Simon Commission in 1928. On October 30, 1928, veteran nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai led a peaceful anti-Simon Commission demonstration at the Lahore Railway Station. James A. Scott, the Superintendent of Police in Lahore, ordered a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Scott personally assaulted Lala Lajpat Rai during the action. Rai suffered severe chest injuries and succumbed to them on November 17, 1928. The death of Lala Lajpat Rai generated intense anger among young revolutionaries. Members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) viewed the police violence as a direct challenge to national honor and resolved to execute James A. Scott.

Execution of the Saunders Assassination

The HSRA leadership formed a covert team to carry out the assassination outside the District Police Headquarters in Lahore.

Key Operatives and Assigned Roles

• Bhagat Singh: Primary shooter who fired at the targeted officer.
• Shivaram Rajguru: Secondary shooter who fired the initial shot.
• Chandrashekhar Azad: Commander-in-Chief who provided armed cover and secured the escape route.
• Jaigopal: Reconnaissance operative tasked with identifying James A. Scott.

On December 17, 1928, Jaigopal mistook Assistant Superintendent of Police John Pylantz Saunders for James A. Scott as Saunders left the police station on his motorcycle. Rajguru fired the first shot, hitting Saunders in the chest. Bhagat Singh ran forward and fired multiple rounds to ensure his death. During their escape through the grounds of the adjacent D.A.V. College, an Indian police head constable named Chanan Singh pursued the revolutionaries. Chandrashekhar Azad shot Chanan Singh after warning him to stop the pursuit.

HSRA Propaganda Strategy and Escape

Following the assassination, the HSRA used the event to broadcast its anti-imperialist message and demonstrate revolutionary capability.

Post-Assassination Measures

• Revolutionary Posters: The HSRA pasted hand-printed posters across Lahore overnight. The posters declared: “John Saunders is dead; Lala Lajpat Rai is avenged.”
• The Lahore Escape: Bhagat Singh disguised himself as a wealthy Westernized gentleman, accompanied by Durgawati Devi (Durga Bhabhi), who acted as his wife, and Rajguru, who posed as their servant. They boarded a train to Calcutta undetected.
• Assembly Bombing Connection: In Calcutta, Bhagat Singh met Jatin Das to learn bomb-making techniques, setting the stage for the Central Legislative Assembly Bombing on April 8, 1929.

The Second Lahore Conspiracy Case and Trial

Police uncovered the Saunders assassination network after arresting Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt at the Central Assembly in Delhi. Raids on HSRA bomb factories in Lahore and Saharanpur yielded weapons, chemical materials, and testimony from turning approvers like Jaigopal, Phanindra Nath Ghosh, and Hans Raj Vohra.

Special Tribunal and Judicial Proceedings

• Lahore Conspiracy Case Trial: The trial opened in July 1929 against 24 HSRA members.
• Hunger Strike: In Lahore Jail, Bhagat Singh and his comrades undertook an indefinite hunger strike demanding political prisoner status, basic amenities, and access to books. Jatin Das died on September 13, 1929, after 63 days of fasting.
• Ordinance III of 1930: Viceroy Lord Irwin promulgated an extraordinary ordinance to constitute a Special Tribunal of three High Court judges to fast-track the trial without the right of appeal.
• The Verdict: On October 7, 1930, the Special Tribunal delivered a 300-page judgment convicting the primary accused.

Judicial Sentences Rendered

The Special Tribunal sentenced the core revolutionaries to capital punishment and long-term exile.

Key Revolutionary Organisations

The Saunders murder showcased the working relationships among several radical organisations across North India.

Primary Revolutionary Associations

• Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA): Reorganized at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi in September 1928, integrating socialist principles into armed resistance.
• Naujawan Bharat Sabha: Open youth organization founded by Bhagat Singh in 1926 at Lahore to spread anti-imperialist, secular ideas among workers and students.
• Kirti Kisan Party: Punjab-based worker-peasant organization that collaborated with HSRA members to publish radical literature.

Important Facts and Historical Details

The execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev took place on March 23, 1931, at 7:33 PM in Lahore Central Jail, several hours ahead of the official scheduled time. Their bodies were secretly cremated at Hussainiwala on the banks of the Sutlej River near Ferozepur. The phrase Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution) was coined by Maulana Hasrat Mohani in 1921 and became a household slogan during the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial. Chandrashekhar Azad evaded police capture throughout the trial until February 27, 1931, when he died in a gunfight with police at Alfred Park in Allahabad, shooting himself with his last bullet. Durgawati Devi (Durga Bhabhi) was the wife of HSRA ideologue Bhagwati Charan Vohra. She provided financial resources and logistics for Bhagat Singh’s escape from Lahore. The Defense Committee formed to defend the accused in the Lahore Conspiracy Case was led by prominent advocates including Lala Puri, C.A. Puri, and Asaf Ali. The date of March 23 is observed across India as Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs’ Day) to honor the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.