At the Lahore High Court continues...

On the suspicion that Sir Manohar Lal, then one of the trustees of the Tribune, had been encouraging Kali Nath to write these articles, he was also arrested though he was released after a few days. Dr. Gokal Chand Narang who had been requested by the Police to help in controlling the crowd when it was marching towards the Mall was also arrested on the ground that he was a leader and therefore responsible for the work of the rebellious mob. Some of the leading personalities of Lahore, Lala Har Kishan Lal, Lala Duni Chand, Lala Dharam Dass Suri, Mr Mohsin Shah and others were put behind the bars.

A tribunal was appointed presided over by Mr. Justice Lesli-Jones to try the accused. I represented Lala Duni Chand, a brother lawyer, before the tribunal. Lala Har Kishan Lal was defended by Sir Hassan Imam, a great lawyer of Patna. The trial was a farce. The accused were either sentenced to death or to transportation for life. During this trial I could not but admire the self-possession and courage of Lala Har Kishan Lal. He showed complete unconcern at what was happening and not only kept his spirits high but engendered courage and strength in all his
co-accused.

I was engaged as a defence counsel in the case involving the murder of the manager of the Amritsar branch of the National Bank of India. This tribunal was presided over by Mr. Justice Broadway. I applied for the inspection of the record in order to find out the prosecution case and the evidence they intended to lead against the accused. The Judge with a frown told me that I could not be allowed an inspection of the record. When I asked him how. else I was supposed to defend the case without knowing
the evidence against the accused persons, the judge said that that was not his concern! The Indian members of the tribunal were mere dummies. An English member of- the bar used to address the tribunal in these words, “My Lord and your assistants”.

to be continued...