Trial and Execution of Bhagat Singh

The trial and execution of Bhagat Singh remains one of the most significant and controversial episodes in India’s struggle for independence. A revolutionary nationalist, Bhagat Singh became a symbol of youthful defiance against British colonial rule. His arrest, trial, and eventual execution in 1931 not only exposed the biases of colonial justice but also galvanised the Indian freedom movement with renewed revolutionary fervour.

Background to the Case

Bhagat Singh, born in 1907 in Banga (now in Pakistan), was deeply influenced by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and the non-cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Disillusioned by the withdrawal of that movement after the Chauri Chaura incident (1922), he turned towards revolutionary politics.
He joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), which was later reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), aiming to end British rule through armed revolution. Bhagat Singh and his comrades believed that violence, if used strategically, could awaken the masses and challenge colonial authority.
Two major incidents defined his confrontation with the British government:

1. The Lahore Conspiracy Case (1928) arising from the killing of John Saunders, a British police officer, and
2. The Central Legislative Assembly bombing (1929) in Delhi.

The Saunders Killing (1928)

In 1928, the British government set up the Simon Commission to propose constitutional reforms, but it excluded all Indian members. This exclusion provoked widespread protests across India. During one such protest in Lahore, police lathi-charged the demonstrators, and Lala Lajpat Rai, a respected nationalist leader, was severely injured, later succumbing to his injuries.
In retaliation, Bhagat Singh, along with Shivaram Rajguru, Sukhdev Thapar, and Chandra Shekhar Azad, plotted to assassinate James A. Scott, the officer responsible for ordering the lathi charge. However, due to mistaken identity, John Saunders, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, was shot dead on 17 December 1928.
After the killing, the revolutionaries managed to escape. The Lahore police launched an intensive search, leading to the arrest of several HSRA members.

The Assembly Bombing (1929)

On 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw non-lethal bombs into the visitors’ gallery of the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi to protest the passage of the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill, which curtailed civil liberties.
Their intent was not to kill but to “make the deaf hear.” After the explosion, they shouted slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad” (Long Live the Revolution) and “Down with Imperialism”, and then voluntarily surrendered. This act brought Bhagat Singh into the national spotlight and transformed him into a hero among Indian youth.

Arrest and Initial Trial

Following the bombing, Bhagat Singh and Dutt were tried in the Delhi Assembly Bomb Case. Both were found guilty under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) and the Explosives Act, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
While in jail, Bhagat Singh used the courtroom and the prison as political platforms. He went on a hunger strike along with other revolutionaries, demanding equal treatment for Indian and European prisoners, better food, and access to reading materials. The 116-day strike attracted massive public attention and demonstrated his ideological discipline and moral courage.

The Lahore Conspiracy Case

While serving his sentence, new evidence linked Bhagat Singh to the Saunders murder case. The British authorities reopened the investigation, charging Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and others under the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
The case was complex and involved numerous revolutionaries. The government introduced a special ordinance, the Lahore Conspiracy Case Ordinance, 1930, under Section 72 of the Government of India Act, 1915, allowing trial by a Special Tribunal instead of a normal court.
This tribunal—comprising Justice Coldstream, Justice Agha Haider, and Justice Hilton—had no provision for appeal, an extraordinary measure that denied the accused normal judicial rights.

Proceedings and Defence

The trial began in July 1929 and lasted until 1930. The prosecution presented witnesses, ballistic evidence, and confessions obtained from some arrested revolutionaries. The accused challenged the legitimacy of the tribunal, boycotted the proceedings at times, and used the trial to publicise their political message.
Bhagat Singh, in his written statements and cross-examinations, justified his actions as revolutionary measures aimed at ending foreign exploitation. He emphasised that their goal was not personal revenge but political liberation, grounded in socialist principles and anti-imperialist ideals.

Verdict and Sentencing

On 7 October 1930, the Special Tribunal delivered its judgment. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were found guilty of murdering John Saunders and conspiring to overthrow British rule. They were sentenced to death by hanging, while several others received life imprisonment.
The defence team appealed to the Privy Council in London, but the appeal was rejected in February 1931. Despite widespread appeals for clemency from Indian leaders, international figures, and political organisations, the British Government refused to commute the sentences.

Execution

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were executed on the evening of 23 March 1931 at Lahore Central Jail. Official records claim the hanging occurred at 7:30 p.m., earlier than the scheduled morning time, possibly to avoid public unrest.
Following the execution, the jail authorities secretly removed their bodies, cremated them near the Sutlej River at Hussainiwala, and disposed of the ashes in the river. Despite the secrecy, local villagers witnessed the act and spread the news, sparking nationwide outrage.

National and Historical Impact

The execution of Bhagat Singh transformed him from a revolutionary into a national martyr. Across India, protests, strikes, and public mourning erupted, cutting across regional and ideological boundaries.
His courage, intellectual depth, and ideological clarity distinguished him from earlier revolutionaries. In prison, he read extensively on Marxism, Leninism, and anarchism, envisioning India’s freedom as a step toward a socialist transformation ensuring equality and justice.
Bhagat Singh’s writings—such as “Why I Am an Atheist”, “Letter to Young Political Workers”, and his prison diaries—reveal a profound understanding of revolutionary ethics, secularism, and rationalism. His death inspired a new generation of activists, giving ideological strength to both revolutionary and socialist movements in India.

Legacy

Bhagat Singh’s trial and execution remain symbols of colonial injustice and youthful idealism. Though executed at the age of twenty-three, his ideas and example left an enduring imprint on India’s political consciousness.
He continues to be celebrated as:

• A martyr of Indian independence, representing courage and sacrifice;
• A thinker and political philosopher, advocating scientific reasoning and socialism; and
• A cultural icon, whose name evokes patriotism, resistance, and the struggle for justice.