More facts revealed about Bhagat Singh’s pistol by researcher Rakesh Kumar
Ferozepur, May 12, 2017: Ferozepur based researcher on Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary activities Rakesh Kumar, presently working in Northern Railway Divisional Office has revealed that the pistol of Bhagat Singh which he used to kill British officer John Saunders in 1928, was seen by one of the two revolutionaries Jai Gopal at Toori Bazar in Ferozepur.
The weapon, believed to be missing for 88 years, the weapon was found at the BSF’s Central School of Weapons and Tactics museum at Indore, where it had been on display without any specific mention of its history.
In his earlier research, Rakesh Kumar has come up that Bhagat Singh was convicted on R.Churchill, Gun Maker’s witness in the court at Lahore. Robert Churchill of UK, had recorded his detailed statement by visiting Lahore, in the court of J C Hilton Judge on June 26, 1930 that the firing was made from Bhagat Singh’s pistol used at the time of firing on Saundaras as per his inspection of the cartridges cases. The judge has taken this as evidence while announcing the death sentence to Bhagat Singh.
Jai Gopal and Hans Raj Vohra both associated with Bhagat Singh as revolutionary – later on gad become prosecution witnesses against Bhagat Singh, who were a part of the hide-out place for planning strategies to fight against the British.
According to latest research, Jai Gopal had seen the pistol baring No.168896 P 480, at Ferozepur hide-out place of ground-breakers at Ferozepur on November 23, 1928, which he has deposed before the court while recording his statement. Even the pistol loaded with magazine was shown to him by Bhagat Singh and later on used to kill Saundras by firing 5-6 rounds. It was also available with him at the time of dacoit in Punjab National Bank.
Rakesh further informed that the pistol was recovered during throwing of a bomb in Delhi Assembly on April 8, 1929 and WPN Jenikan Supdt. CID had brought this pistol from Delhi to Lahore and then sent to British pistol expert Robert Churchill at London for inspection purposes.
Churchill inspected the pistol from July 2, 1929 to July, 31, 1929 and was brought back to Lahore. Churchill deposed in detail before the Judge G.C.Hilton on June 26, 1930, says Rakesh.
He said, the government has already issued a notification on December 25, 2015 declaring the hide-out place as heritage. The people of Ferozepur demands to convert the hide-out place of revolutionaries at Ferozepur into Museum and Library by taking its possession and display the pistol for visitors, which will go a long way in promoting tourism in this border town.
