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 [‎71v] (40/100)

usual on tlmt morniDg in tliG pres6ncG of Itunclicird TLutna ]\Xussal, and this
statement is corroborated by the evidence of llunchard llutna. Abdoolla larther
states that having prepared the sherbet as usual, he took it into the Resident s
room about 6-30 a.m ., at which time the Hamals Govind Baloo and Yellapa
Nursoo were in the room, and Rowjee llavildar ol peons was near the room.
It also appears from Abdoolla's statement that while he was in the room Lux-
mon peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). came in to clean the inkstand, &c. AY hen Abdoola left the room he
states that the two Hamals above referred to and Luxmon peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). were in the
Resident's private room where the pummelo sherbet then was, and that Rowjee
Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. was in the ante -room. AA hen Abdoolla had placed the pummelo
sherbet on the Resident's table, he states that he returned to the dispense-
khana to prepare the butter, and that he then for the first time that morning
saw Faizoo Ramzan who came into the room where Abdoolla and a Mussal,
named Runchard Rutna, were employed on their usual work. The fact that
Eaizoo Ramzan did go into the dispensekhana at about 6-30 a.m ., on the morn
ing of Monday, November 9th 1874, is corroborated by the evidence of Runchard
Rutna, who further states that Faizoo Ramzan went from the dispensekhana
into the dining room, but for what purpose he does not know.
28. Why Faizoo Ramzan went into the dining room at all at so early an
hour cannot be clearly ascertained. At that time the Hamils had not been into
the room to clean it, and the table was not ready to be laid. The silver more
over which was in the dining room was not cleaned until a later hour.
Whether Faizoo Ramzan went to the Resident's private Office room or not
on the morning of Monday, November 9th, cannot be ascertained. Faizoo
Ramzan himself dist nctly denies it, but as he was seen to go into the
dining room, one door of which is only 15 paces distant from the backdoor
of the Resident's private Office room, there was ample opportunity for him to
have done so; and had he gone by the back 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. outside he could
not possibly have been seen by any of the peons or servants inside the house.
29. Rowjee llavildar of peons was arrested in the first instance, because
he was shown to have had access to the room where the pummelo sherbet was
during the Resident's absence. As it appears however that he left tiie room
before Abdoolla left it, he was at once released from custody.
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30. Luxmon peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). was also released for a similar reason. It should be
noticed however that there is a discrepancy between his statement and that of
Ab.doolla. Luxmon states that when he left the Resident's private Office room
Abdoolla and the two Hamals alone were present in the room and remained in
the room after he had left. Abdoolla states that Luxmon remained behind in
the room with the two Hamals, after he, Abdoolla, had left about 6-30 a. m.
Whether Luxmon peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). remained in the room after Abdoolla had left or went
out of the room before him cannot be certainly ascertained. It does not however
appear to be a point of much importance as no suspicion attaches to Luxmon
except on the ground that he was one of the few persons who had had access
to the room between 6 a. m . and 6-55. a. m*
31. The two Hamals, Yellapa Nursoo and Govind Baloo, are still in custody.
Yellapa Nursoo states that after sweeping the room he left it about 6-30 a. m.,
leaving there at that time Abdoolla and the .other Hamal Govind Baloo. Ab
doolla states that when he left about 6-30. a. m. Yellapa Nursoo remained behind
with the other hamal. There is thus in this instance also a discrepancy simlar
to that noticed above in paragraph 30 in the case of Luxmon peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). . Whether
Yellapa Nursoo left the Resident's room before Abdoolla or after him does not
appear to be a matter of great importance as they both probably left about the
same time, namely, about 6-30. a. m . The chief element of suspicion against
Hamal Yellapa ^sursoo lies in the fact that he denied having seen any
pummelo sherbet brought by Abdoolla on the morning in question, ft
appears to be inconceivable that he should have failed to see whether Abdoolla
brought the sherbet or not as usual. It was also noticeable that Yellapa Nursoo
appeared to be much agitated under examination, and gave his evidence with
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Exd.- R. T. B.