The Red Fort Trial
The trial began on November 5, 1945, while a mass demonstration was going on outside the Red Fort. People gave voice to their resentment on the trials by shouting:
Lal Qile se aaee awaz,
Sahgal Dhillon Shah Nawaz,
Teenon ki ho umar daraz (Meaning – Sahgal, Dhillon, Shah Nawaz, comes the voice from the Red Fort. May the trio live long)
The trial concluded on December 31, and Dhillon, along with the other two defendants, became a symbol of the ongoing struggle for Indian independence. The verdict came the following day. All three were found guilty of waging war against the King Emperor, and the court was bound to sentence the accused either to death or to deportation for life. However, the Commander-in-Chief, Claude Auchinleck, taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances, decided to remit the sentences, and all three defendants were later released.
The release was of momentous significance at a national level, because the unprecedented publicity in the national papers and other media during the proceedings had enhanced the credibility and legitimacy of the freedom struggle by the Indian National Army. On the day after the release, January 4, the whole of Delhi gathered to participate in a rally.
Read more about this topic: Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon
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