Page 18 - Seniors Today Jan20 Issue
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The Sethi family’s multi-faceted story has been told in A Family of Patriots by KL Johar and Jai Gopal, Harman Publishing House, 1994
Rai filled in Rs. 10,000 to which Kanshi Ram testimony could have nailed Hari Ram Sethi. He
said “Baniya you can’t give and can’t take, I was the man who carried the bomb from Pindi
had kept a lakh of rupees for you”. After the to Ajmeri gate on Hari Ram’s instruction. Hari
money was given to him Hari Ram added that Ram got him killed and there was no evidence
we had kept a lot more money for you, now you against him and he was let off. As soon as the
satisfy yourself with this 1 lakh. A lot of the assassination attempt happened Hari Ram left
underground revolutionaries came asking for Delhi and ran away to Calcutta. And returned
money and Hari Ram at his discretion would only after he made sure the single eyewitness
provide funds. was dead.
The Hardinge bomb case was largely funded The death of Lala Lajpat Rai had made all
by the Sethis and Hari Ram Sethi was the the young revolutionaries itch for revenge
active participant. Part of this bomb was made and they planned the murder of JA Scott
in Pindi and part of it was made in Ajmeri who was responsible for the lathi charge on
Gate and reassembled there. Two bombs were Lajpat Rai and others. Bhagat Singh, Azad
made in case the first one failed. While Basant and Rajguru planned the murder in every
Kumar Biswas, Balmukund, Amir Chand detail. Unfortunately instead of murdering
and Avadh Behari were sentenced to lifetime JA Scott they killed a young officer called John
imprisonment, no evidence could be found Saunders. As a trustee of the DAV College, Hari
against Hari Ram Sethi and he was let off. Ram helped Bhagat Singh, Azad and Rajguru
During the case there was one witness whose escape after they had shot John Saunders.
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