"Hindu fundamentalism, Hindu extremism and Hindu nationalism
equal Hindu terrorism. Hindu fundamentalism is terrorism, Hindu
extremism is terrorism and Hindu nationalism is terrorism. Hindu
terrorism is Hindu barbarism. So-called Hindu nationalists are
actually Hindu fundamentalists, extremists, terrorists and
savage barbarians."--Free Press Network (FPN).
The possible list of wanted criminals,
which Pakistan wants India to hand over, also includes Indian Home
Minister Lal Krishna Advani as he is wanted in a case to assassinate
Quaid-e-Azam [Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan] in 1947,
sources divulged to The News.
Advani, a hawk on Kashmir and a rabid anti-Pakistani politician, has
been a proclaimed offender in the case ever since its registration, the
sources said. The case is based on the FIR [police report] number 4/47
that was registered on September 10, 1947 by the then SHO PS Jamshed
Quarters Inspector Tooti Ram against 18 accused. They were charged with
hatching a criminal conspiracy to assassinate the then Governor-General
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan,
Khawaja Nazimuddin and other top-line leaders of Pakistan Movement. The
police, however, could arrest only six of them, while the remaining 12
accused, including L.K. Advani and some leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP), absconded.
The arrested accused, Khem Chand s/o Gopal Das, Nand Ram s/o Gobind Ram,
Gobind s/o Lal Singh, Hargobind s/o Ghando Mal, Santo s/o Ghando Mal and
Tayken Das s/o Jairam were sent up for trial and were convicted by the
trial court in this case. They were awarded different penalties by the
court.
The case against the remaining 12 accused (absconders) was placed on
dormant file till the time of their arrest. In the meantime, an
agreement was reached between India and Pakistan under which the six
convicts were extradited to India on September 19, 1948.
The said case is still pending on dormant file against L.K. Advani and
some leaders of VHP and, according to sources, the Pakistan government
may demand of the Indian government to hand over to it these accused.
More details have been unearthed in the
historic case in which Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani is now wanted by
Pakistan and may be included in the list of criminals sought to be
extradited from India.
As the story of his involvement in a criminal case in Pakistan in 1947
created waves round the world, investigators in Pakistan began searching
for old records to find out whatever they could dig in the case.
The News learnt that the Shikarpur Colony Conspiracy Case against
proclaimed offender L.K. Advani and 40 other activists of Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was heard and decided by a special tribunal,
constituted under an act of Sindh Assembly, on September 17, 1948.
RSS is a radical Hindu organisation, which has been involved in several
saboteur activities. One of its activists, Nathu Ram Godse, had
assassinated Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in February 1948. L.K. Advani
has been an active member of this organisation.
The special tribunal, headed by Justice Rahim Bux Munshi of West
Pakistan High Court, had pronounced its verdict on September 17, 1948 by
which two principal accused, Khanchand Gopaldas and Nand Badlani, were
sentenced to transportation for life and pay Rs 50,000 and Rs 20,000
fine, respectively. Other 13 convicts were sentenced to undergo 10 year
RI each and a fine of Rs 1,000 each. Four accused were acquitted, while
the case against remaining accused, including Advani, was placed on
dormant file. The accused were defended by late A.K. Brohi Advocate.
The convicts filed appeal in the West Pakistan High Court but were
extradited to India while their appeal was still pending. The case was
registered following a bomb blast in the house of RSS activist Totaram
on September 10, 1947. One man had died on the spot and another in
hospital. During investigations of the incident the police had seized
explosive substance, 'elignite powder' and ammunition from the house.
The investigating agency had also laid hand on literature of RSS and
vital documents, which showed the house was being used to prepare
explosive devices, which were used in carrying out terrorist activities
throughout the country.
Further investigations revealed that the gang had large funds at its
disposal. They used to hold secret meetings and even to parade on the
streets of that Hindu dominant area. Convict Nand Badlani, who was
caught red-handed from the said house, was their mastermind and had a
list of persons who, though were not active members, had placed their
services at the disposal of the organisation in case of need. Convict
Khanchand Gopaldas was President of the RSS, who had complete control
over the activists and was also incharge of its funds.
The case was initially taken up before the then additional district
magistrate, Karachi District, and was later transferred to special
tribunal, which disposed it off. According to record available, a total
expenditure of Rs 19,000 was incurred on the case right from the stage
of its registration to its final outcome.
The accused, who were acquitted included Doctor Titumal Hirwani, Mayaram
Lachman, Motan Mal and Dhanram Jaganath. They were, however, re-arrested
under Pakistan Public Safety Act after their release in this case.
The Foreign Office spokesman has said
the government is studying the context of a news item published in "The
News" that Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani was involved in a conspiracy
to assassinate Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1947.
According to the news item, the SHO and Inspector Toti Ram of Jamshed
Quarters Police Station Karachi had registered an FIR against L.K.
Advani and 17 others on September 10, 1947. The report states that 18
persons were charged with killing Pakistan's Governor General
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan,
Khawaja Nazimuddin and other frontline leaders of Pakistan Movement.
However, police could arrest only six persons while the remaining 12
persons, including L.K. Advani, made their escape good. They were
declared proclaimed offenders by the Government of Pakistan while those
arrested were tried in the court and were served with various
punishments.
According to sources in Karachi, the record relating to the FIR and
trial is being studied by the concerned agencies The FO spokesman said
that "the veracity of the report is being ascertained". "The Foreign
Office would not be in a position to make any comments on this subject
before the facts of the news story have been fully looked into," he
added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's court officials are re-examining a 50-year-old
criminal case against Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani but the
government has refused to confirm reports that it would demand his
extradition.
Senior officials of the Sindh High Court in Karachi confirmed that they
were reviewing charges against Advani over his alleged involvement in a
plot to kill Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, soon after the partition
of the subcontinent in 1947. "Such a case does exist, we have received
instructions from higher authorities to send the file," a senior high
court official told AFP. "We are collecting the record and trying to dig
out the file of this very old case."
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