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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [179v] (363/502)
The record is made up of 1 volume (249 folios). It was created in 1 Nov 1873-14 Feb 1874. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
offence, viz., that on the night of Sunday, Falgun Vadya 2nd, Svt. 1929, at
Baroda, in the Government house, in Government sillekhana, Nos. 1 to 6 admi
nistered arsenic to Jamdar Tatiaba Powar, by mixing in a dish called " shri-
khand" which was given him to eat at the time of his meals, whereby the said
Tatiaba Powar died the next day, Falgun Vadya 3rd (Monday morning), and
that Nos. 7 and 8 sold the arsenic to accused Nos. 1 and 2. This offence
comes within the scope of the Foujdari decision No. 1. Accused Nos. 1, 2,
3, and 7 plead guilty, and Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 8 plead not guilty.
The following are the papers of enquiry recorded in this case :—
No. 1. Complaint lodged by Lakshmi, widow of Jotiba Katkar and sister
to the deceased Tatiaba Powar.
No. 2. Statement of accused No. 1, Dajiba bin Hari Powar.
No. 3. Statement of accused No. 2, Ganu bin Dhondi Devre.
No. 4. Statement of accused No. 3, Vithoba bin Babaji Nikam.
No. 5. Statement of accused No. 4, Raghu bin Babaji Sawat.
No. 6. Statement of accused No. 5, Narayen ifin Sivba Vanjara.
No. 7. Statement of accused No. 6, Lakshman bin Pandoba More.
No. 8. Statement of accused No. 7, Fatteh Ali Aminudin Borah.
No. 9. Statement of accused No. 8, Eanchod Devji.
No. 10. Report of medical men Narayenrao and Adarji,
On a consideration of these papers recorded as Nos. 1 to 10, it appears
that on a certain day the accused Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 thought of
killing the Jamdar, Tatiaba Powar, by administering to him some poisonous
substance. It was supposed by them that by so doing, the appointment held
by the said Tatiaba would be conferred Jby Government on the accused
No. 6, Raghu Sawat, and that he (Raghu) promising the other accused to
provide them with situations on being so nominated in Tatiaba's place,
instigated the accused No. 2 Daji bin Kari Powar, No. 3 Kamati Ganu
bin Dhondi, and No. 4 Kamati Vithu bin Babaji Nikam, to proceed to
the commission of this foul deed. An opportunity occurred on Falgun
Vadya 2nd (Sunday morning) at about 8 o'clock, when the accused Nos.
2 and 3 went to the shop of Nurudin Borah, a supplier of medicinal drugs
to Government, and managed to obtain from his Gumasta, the accused No. 8,
Fatteh Ali, about a tola of arsenic under the pretext of its being needed for
medicinal purposes. This poisonous substance was shown by them to accused
No. 4, Kamati Vithu, and the matter formed the subject of conversation by the
accused Nos, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 amongst themselves. After this, at about
3 o'clock p.m ., the accused No. 2, Daji bin Hari Powar, prepared the dish called
" shrikhand" and mixed in it the arsenic alluded to. The pot in which the
" shrikhand " was put was closed up by tying a rumal (handkerchief) over its
mouth. After this the deceased, Tatiaba Powar, together with the accused
Nos. 2 to 7, proceeded to the parade ground, where the ceremony of sprinkling
coloured powder in celebration of the Holi festival, took place. Thev
all returned in the evening to the palace, when the deceased Tatiaba asked
the accused No. 2, Dajiba Powar, to give him something to eat, as he felt
hungry. The accused No. 2 told him that he had prepared the "shri
khand." The accused Nos. 2,3 and 4 also prepared food as usual and called the
deceased Tatiaba and others to eat. At the time of serving the meal, the
deceased Tatiaba and accused No. 6 were given the dish " shrikhand." 'The
deceased Tatiaba ate it with avidity, but theaccused No. 6 Raghu Sawat care-
fully abstained, pretending that he could not eat owing to a pain in his
stomach. After the lapse of some time, the poisonous drug contained in the
" shrikhand " took effect, and Tatiaba at about 12 p.m . that night began to
About this item
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Report of the Baroda Enquiry Commission on the administration of the government of Malharrao, Gaekwar of Baroda. The Commission comprised Richard John Meade (President), Edward William Ravenscroft, Mumtazul Dowlah Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Faiz Ali Khan, Colonel Alfred Thomas Etheridge and Thomas Duncan Mackenzie (Secretary).
The report comprises a letter from the members of the Baroda Enquiry Commission to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department presenting their report on the results of the proceedings and submitting copies of correspondence, reports and statements relative to the enquiry (ff 5-19):
Appendix A, Part I
- Schedules I-III: Complaints and grievances against the Gaekwar's Government from individuals and groups (ff 21-78).
- Appendix B, Schedules I-III: Cases of complaint and grievance which the commission did not look into during the enquiry (ff 79-81).
- Appendix C: Letter from Colonel Richard John Meade, President, Special Commission of Enquiry on Baroda Affairs, to Colonel Robert Phayre, Resident at Baroda, 1 November 1873 (ff 82-83).
- Appendix D: Translation of an amended notice issued by the Resident to complainants desirous of appearing before the Baroda Enquiry Commission (ff 84-85).
- Appendix E: Schedules presented to the Commission along with Colonel Phayre's introductory statement regarding them. (ff 86-131).
- Appendix F: Letter No. 1128 of 1873 from Colonel Phayre to the President, Baroda Commission regarding the cases already submitted to the Commission, the List of undisposed petitions to be attended to by the Resident which could be used as additional cases if required and the statements that he had yet to make on cases under enquiry by the Commission (ff 132-133).
- Appendix G, Schedule I: Statements from witnesses with cross examination statements from the Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). on behalf of the Gaekwar and statements from the Resident as to the accuracy of the information provided (ff 134-229).
Appendix Part II (ff 231-245)
- Letter from James Braithwaite Peile, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kattywar [Kathiawar] to T D Mackenzie, Secretary, Baroda Commission, 13 December 1873 regarding papers requested by the Commission and informing them that the outstanding paper will be forwarded as soon as they are received. Enclosed with the letter are a memorandum from Peile for reconstitution of His Highness the Gaekwar's Contingent in Kattywar, 13 December 1873 and Rule for the guidance of the Officers and Kamdars appointed to the Contingent of Horse of His Highness the Gaekwar, serving in the various Tributary Mahals according to treaty.
- Letter from Peile to Mackenzie, 6 January 1874, forwarding a report and returns received from Colonel Walker, Superintendent to the Gaekwar's Contingent in Kattywar and stating that he does not concur with the Colonel's opinion. Enclosed with this letter is a letter from Colonel Chamberlen William Walker, 30 December 1873, providing the information on the Contingent requested by the Commission and enclosing an extract of the Contingents annual report for 1871 and a statement of the men within the Contingent on duty under officials paid by Talukdars etc, 06 March 1872.
- Letters from John Whaley Watson, Acting Political Superintendent Pahlanpur [Palanpur], Captain Henry Nicholas Reeves, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Rewa Kanta [Rewa Kantha] and Major Philip Harrison Le Geyt, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Mahi Kanta [Mahi Kantha] to the secretary of the Baroda Commission 19 December 1873 to 9 January 1874 reporting on the Gaekwar's contingents serving within their districts and commenting on numbers of men, pay and conditions. The letters all refer to enclosed returns, but only the return for Mahi Kanta is included in the report.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (249 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main sequence of foliation consists of a small pencil number in the top front right hand corner of each folio enclosed in a circle.
There is also an original sequence of foliation which consists of larger pencil numbers also in the top front right hand corner of folios, however the sequence is not consistent and some of the numbers may be filing references rather than foliation numbers.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- Mss Eur F126/78
- Title
- 'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:248v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence