Enclosures of letter to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India, No.11, dated 15 January 1875: Nos. 3 to 45 of Abstract of Contents, from the Officiating Under-Secretary to the Government of India, Fort William [‎57r] (11/100)

3
without any delinitely expressed intention regarding his term of imprisonment,
Colonel Wallace's report to Govern- &c. A perusal of the llesident's report and of the
3tSnp";Scv"Sce 3rJ Ausu • , • evi <ieuee in the case will show that sorcery, poison,
Also proceedings of 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). in or sliooting were specified as the means by any one
tl " ( :,M ' of which the death of Khunde Rao was to be effected.
The poison which had been procured from the Civil Hospital was deposited
for safety with Serjeant-Major Higgias, until it might be required for use by
one ol His Highness Khunde Rao's confidential servants, who had been gained
over by Mulhar Rao's Agents to administer the poison in either the Maharaja's
food or his drinking water. The general similarity of this plan with that
followed in the attempt to poison the Resident under report, through the
medium of the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Chobdar and table servant, Faizoo, the Kazee Dada
Meeya, and the Arab servant Salam is worthy of attention.
10. It is moreover deserving of special note that, although in the 18G3 con
spiracy Tatya Shastree confessed liis crime and was sentenced to life imprison
ment, yet that as soon as Mulhar Rao came to the throne in 1871, he released
this confessedly guilty prisoner and such of his accomplices as still survived
from prison, thus affording additional evidence, were such required, of his own
personal guilt as the instigator of their diabolical designs.
11. To return, however, to the events of the year 1863 it is necessary
to mention that though the main criminals had been justly dealt with in
September of that year, yet that certain of Mulhar R io's Agents and accom
plices residing in the Baroda Cantonment and the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , who had escaped
detection, were incited to revenge Mulhar Rao's detection upon the faithful
Serjeant-Major Higgins, who after a course of persecution from the assassins
narrowly escaped being shot dead whilst lying upon his cot in the British Can
tonment. The result was that he had to be removed from the 28th Native
Infantry, and although His Highness Khunde Rao, with the sanction of Govern
ment, made him a handsome remuneration for his faithful services, still the fact
remains that Mulhar Rao's secret Agents succeeded in hunting down this British
soldier with utter impunity—a manoevre which the sequel of this report and
its accompanim mt shows that the same Mulhar Rao has been putting in practice
towards the British Resident, Colonel Phayre, for the last few months, and it
remains to be seen whether he is to be allowed to succeed now as formerly.
12. This evidence of the years 1857 and 1863 places His Highness
Mulhar Rao's character as a traitor to both his own and the British Government,
and as the would-be murderer of his own brother and sovereign, and of Serjeant-
Major Higgins in its true light. It moreover afforded plain evidence of what
his future career was likely to be were the power to do mischief on a large
scale ever entrusted to him.
13. Accordingly although he was thrown into prison as above stated, yet
even in that position he ingeniously contrived to hatch fresh plots against his
brother's life by means of fresh Agents who opened secret communications
with him.
14. Amongst these was a disreputable person who went by the name of
vide Revd. Mr. Taylor's evidence, Kazee Dada Meeya, w r ho, it is said, had been obliged
appendix a . to fly from Cliandodc in the Nassik District, in con
sequence of his having seduced and taken into keeping his own niece. This
man was at first engaged in endeavouring to obtain Mulhar Rao's release from
prison, and he used to Visit Bombay for that purpose. His connection with the
case immediately under report will be seen in the accompanying evidence.
15. Amongst others also who assisted Mulhar Rao when in prison at
Padra were the two confidential personal attendants of His Highness, Yeshwunt
Rao Yeola and the Arab sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. Salam, both of whom, though then in His Highness
Khunde Rao's service, have attained notoriety as the instruments of Mulhar
Rao since he came to the throne in December 1870. »
16. Early in 1867, these renewed intrigues of Mulhar Rao and his accom
plices to murder and supplant his brother culminated in a third conspiracy on
which occasion upwards of 20 persons were arrested, some of whom were