Minute by His Excellency the Viceroy [‎26r] (9/10)

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attributed to poison, and as to wliicli some suspicion attaclied to Mulliar Rao.
Depositions were taken before officers who had been charged by Sir Lewis Polly
with the duty. Those depositions tended to confirm the suspicion that Ehow
Sindia was poisoned. Again it appeared in the course of the enquiries which
had been carried on at Baroda connected with the attempt to poison Colonel
Phayre that a man of the name of Govind Naik had met with his death in
a manner to induce Sir Lewis Pelly to believe that Mulhar Eao either
gave himself, or caused to be given, orders by virtue of which a system of
torture was put in force under which Govind Naik finally succumbed. In
this case also formal depositions were taken which led to the conclusion stated
by Sir Lewis Pelly.
32. It is obvious that these and other circumstances disclosed after
Mulhar Rao's suspension, although they afforded substantial ground for a re
consideration of the decision at which the Government of India had arrived to
allow him his full period of grace, could not with propriety have been dealt
with pending the result of the inquiry before Sir Richard Couch's Commission.
33. It appears then that at no time between the report of Sir Richard
Meade's Commission and the conclusion of the inquiry carried on before Sir
Richard Couch's Commission were the Government of India in a position
to recommend the deposition of Mulhar Rao. At the same time,
independently of the inquiry into the attempt to poison Colonel Phayre,
evidence to the effect that Mulhar Rao could not, with a due regard
to the interests of the people of Baroda, be restored to power, had
accumulated since the warning given to him after the report of Sir
Richard Meade's Commission; and especially much additional proof of
his misconduct and unfitness had been received since his suspension from
power. As regards Mulhar Rao's issue, the circumstances of his marriage
with Luxmabaee, and her having given birth to a son five months' after
that marriage, led to the conclusion that it would have been highly detri
mental to the interests of the State of Baroda that any recognition should be
given to the possible claims of that infant (the only male issue of Mulhar
Rao on behalf of whom any claim to legitimacy could be advanced) to the
Sovereignty of Baroda.
34. All these circumstances have probably been considered by Her Majes
ty's Government. They are mentioned here for the purpose of indicating
the manner in which the question presented itself to the Government of India,
and the reasons which led them to accept without hesitation the decision of
Her Majesty's Government that the deposition of Mulhar Rao and of his
issue should be based upon general grounds. It has already been shown
that the recommendation of the Government of India that Mulhar Rao
should be deposed was based upon the fact of his remaining subject, under
the most favorable view that could be taken of the circumstances, to a grave
suspicion of having instigated the attempt to murder Colonel Phayre, coupled
with his previous character and antecedents.
35. Throughout all these painful transactions the Government of India
have endeavoured to deal with Mulhar Rao in a spirit of perfect" impartiality