Krishnakanta's Will (Chatterjee, Roy)/Part 2/Chapter 12
CHAPTER XII.
Bhramar went again to her father-in-law's. Day after day, and week after week she waited and waited, poised between hope and doubt, the coming of her husband, but Gobindalal never came. It was now the third year since he left home; and that year passed away, and also the next, at the end of which she was ill again. For months she had been going into a consumption, and she was now troubled with a hacking cough. Day by day she was getting worse till it seemed to her that her end was not far away. Then the fear that she might have to go off without seeing her husband haunted her night and day.
The fifth year was in. At the commencement of it news reached Haridragram that Gobindalal had been found out, arrested and brought over to Jessore. It was heard said that he had been living away at Brindaban in the guise of a mendicant, and the police, having got scent of it, had traced him and brought him over from there. It was said that he was to receive his trial in Jessore.
Bhramar soon heard of GobindaJal's arrest. She had the dreaded news from her dewan, who had got a letter from Gobindalal. The letter ran as follows:—
"I am going to jail. If it could be thought fit to spend a few thousands for my sake—a favour which, I know, I do not deserve, there is no time to be lost. I have no wish to live; but I cannot endure the thought of dying the death of a felon on the gallows. I expect I may not be allowed to be hanged if it could be helped. Make no mention of this letter to my wife, but tell her that you have had the information from a reliable source."
When Bhramar heard the news, she immediately sent information to her father, asking him to come at once. Madhabinath came without delay, and she put fifty thousand rupees in currency notes and Government paper into his hand. "O father," she exclaimed, weeping, "exert your utmost to save his life. Spend any sum. Nay, I will fling our whole fortune at the feet of the police to save him."
Madhabinath comforted his daughter as best as he could, and started for Jessore that very day. On leaving he urged his daughter to bear up, saying that as there was no evidence he had committed the murder he earnestly hoped that he would be able not alone to bring his son-in-law home, but also a considerable part of the money he was taking with him.
When he arrived at Jessore Gobindalal was in jail. But what he heard was very discouraging. The inspector, Fichel Khan, had sent up witnesses to be examined after thoroughly investigating the case. He had failed to find out Rupa and Sona, who were in the employment of Gobindalal. Knowing that in the absence of any witnesses it would be difficult to bring the charge home to the prisoner the inspector had sent up three men, bribed by him and tutored, to give evidence against the accused in the magistrate's court. When the case came up for hearing before the magistrate the witnesses declared upon oath that they had seen Gobindalal Roy alias Chunilal Dutt shoot Rohini dead by firing a pistol. This happened, they said, immediately after their arrival in the "old factory house" at about nine o'clock at night. On being questioned why they went there, they said they went, as on other previous occasions, to hear the girl sing. They had heard, they said, that the girl was in the prisoner's keeping for over two years. The magistrate was easily convinced, and committed the prisoner to the sessions.
Madhabinath had procured the address of the witnesses. He saw them at their houses and got them to come over to his lodgings. "What you have said before the magistrate," he said to them, "you are not to mind. Before the sessions judge I would have you say that you know nothing about the case. If you will agree to say as I propose I will give you a thousand rupees each. To each of you I will pay in advance five hundred rupees now, and the rest when the prisoner has been released."
"But we shall be imprisoned," said they, "if we bear false witness."
"Fear nothing. I will prove in court by witnesses that Fichel Khan compelled you by cudgelling and threats to ruin you if you refused to say what he wanted you to say, to give false evidence before the magistrate."
The witnesses who had never in their life seen a hundred rupees together were easily tempted by the offer of ten times the sum. They agreed to do as they were asked; and they were paid five hundred rupees each in advance.
The day fixed for Gobindalal's trial soon came. The prisoner was in the dock. The witness first named was called up. He took his stand in the witness box and was sworn. He was then examined by the Government pleader who questioned him, saying, "Do you know Gobindalal Roy alias Chunilal Dutt?"
"No; I am sure I do not know any one of that name," he said.
"But you have seen him when he was living at the Prosadpur factory house?"
"Never."
"Were you ever acquainted with Rohini?"
“Rohini?"
"I mean the girl who was murdered, and who lived at the Prosadpur factory house."
"I never knew her."
"How did Rohini die?"
"The rumour is that she committed suicide."
"Don't you know anything about the murder?"
"None at all."
The Government pleader then read out the evidence given by the witness in magistrate's court, and said, "Did you not say these words before the magistrate?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why did you make such deposition as that if you do not know anything about the murder?"
The witness here made a show of crying. "Fichel Khan compelled me by thrashing," he said, "to give false evidence before the magistrate. He threatened to ruin me if I refused to say what he wanted me to say."
And he bared his back and exposed to view some black marks, which he had got from a recent fight with his brother, as the marks of Fichel Khan's beating.
The Government pleader looked somewhat disappointed. He ordered the next witness to be called up.
After he had been sworn he was examined. And he answered exactly after the manner of the first. He had got up a sore in his back, which he showed as the result of the cruel treatment to which he been subjected.
The last witness called only echoed the words of the two who had been examined before him. He said that had it not been for his great dread of the inspector who swore he would do him material harm if he durst refuse to say what he would have him say nothing could have induced him to perjure himself.
The judge, for want of evidence, ordered the prisoner to be discharged. And as he was greatly displeased with Fichel Khan he ordered the magistrate to inquire strictly about the conduct of the inspector in connection with the case.
During his trial Gobindalal was wondering what could make the witnesses say what was quite conflicting with what they had said before the magistrate; but when he happened to cast his eyes on Madhabinath he understood the whole affair. After his discharge he was once more taken to the jail where he had to await the order for his release. As he was about to be removed Madhabinath went up and whisperingly told him in his ear where he was putting up, and to see him without fail after being let off from jail. But after his release Gobindalal never saw him. And Madhabinath, alter waiting for him a few days, was at length obliged to return to his daughter to Haridragram.
(To be continued)
Translated by D. C. Roy.