62
unless it is mixed with dhatura seeds or charas.
As for instance, in Khurai, zilla Saugor, a large
weekly cattle market is held. One Ganpat Goojer
of Piperia-chore, pargana Rahatgarh, contracted
friendship with three men who had come with
cattle for sale to the market. After that, the
accused mixed dhatura seeds with ganja and in-
duced the three men to partake of it. When they
were found intoxicated, Ganpat Goojer bolted
away with cattle and valuables of these three
men. He was arrested in February 1879, and in
the cases tried by Colonel Ward, then the Deputy
Commissioner of Saugor, the accused was found
guilty, and was sentenced to 16 years' imprison-
ment.
33. Evidence* of SAYAD MOHOMED TAKI, Inspector of Police, Hoshangabad.
51. Amongst the habitual moderate consumers
of these drugs, bad characters are in excess. Most
criminals belong to the menial castes, and amongst
them the consuming of these drugs is a custom,
there being no caste prejudices against the taking
thereof. Criminals are severally addicted to liquor,
ganja, opium and bhang. Amongst the following
criminal tribes, viz.:—Pasi, Rehria, Badak, Bour
i a o r M o g i a , M i n a , N e t , B a n j a r a , K a n j a r , S a n s i , B e h r i a ,Bansaria, Kola Bhuti, Rajputs, Kika-
ria, other bad characters and menial castes, it is
quite a custom to indulge in these drugs. The
criminal population of Malwa and Rajputana are
addicted to both liquor and opium. The inhabit-
ants of the North-Western and Central Provinces
are generally addicted to liquor ; and those persons
who go about in the guise of bairagis and fakirs
become habitual consumers of ganja and bhang
from constant intercourse with fakirs. In short,
I have seen no criminal who is not addicted to
some kind of drug taking, or in whose caste or
tribe the taking of these drugs is prohibited.
Now, it remains to be seen whether criminals take
to these drugs for the commission of crime, or
whether these habits are contracted because they
are of certain castes.
As far as I know, these people do not take
drugs for the purpose of committing crime or of
becoming criminals ; but they take to it at an early
age from the example set them by their parents,
or from custom and fellowship. The commence-
ment of the taking of these drugs has no connec-
tion with crime whatever ; but when from con-
stant use persons become habitual consumers and
cannot do without drugs, etc., and the means to
procure them are no longer at hand, then to satisfy
their cravings they become habitual criminals ;
but it does not necessarily follow that they become
criminals from the beginning of their addiction
to these drugs.
52. In the present time I have observed that
criminals are greatly addicted, as a general rule,
to liquor and opium and to a lesser extent to ganja
and bhang. The criminal classes of Malwa and
Rajputana go in largely for opium and liquor, and
the latter is largely consumed by the criminals
of the North-Western Provinces, Those persons
who move about in the guise of bairagis and fakirs
are much addicted to ganja and bhang, and they
acquire this habit from constant intercourse with
bairagis and fakirs in their peregrinations. Some
habitual criminals, with the intention of passing
themselves off as bairagis and fakirs, use these
drugs, so that they may be looked upon as bairagis
and fakirs and not as criminals. The taking of
these drugs does not render any assistance in the
commission of crime.
53. In my experience, extending over a period
of 30 years' service, I know of three cases in
which the commission of crime without any pre-
meditation whatever was due to the indulgence in
intoxicating drugs. One case occurred at
H a n d i a 2 0 y e a r s o r s o a g o . G u p p u S i n g h a n d o t h e r
constables drank bhang, and while under the in-
fluence of bhang, Guppu Singh constable wounded
one of his comrades with a sword. The wounded
man narrowly escaped death. Guppu Singh was
sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment for attempt-
ing murder.
The second case is one in which Mangal Singh,
constable of the Harda town police, was killed by
Mr. Clarke by a blow with a stick while the
latter was under the influenc
e o f l i q u o r . M r . C l a r k e w a s s e n t t o C a l c u t t a . T h i s o c c u r r e d
twenty-nine years ago.
The third case is that of a Nat, whose name I
do not remember ; and the occurrence took place
in the Matkuli ilaka. The Nat, after smoking
ganja, suddenly attacked his wife and killed her.
He subsequently became a lunatic and was sent to
Jabalpur. This took place about 25 years ago.
Besides the above cases, in my investigations
no other cases have occurred in which premedita-
tion to some extent did not exist.
54. Habitual criminals do certainly take liquor,
opium and intoxicating drugs just before the
commission of a crime, but this is simply to
remove fatigue and not that it makes the commis-
sion of the crime
a n y e a s i e r o r e m b o l d e n s t h e m . T h e y k n o w t h a t t h e m o d e r a t e u s e o f l i q u o r o r
opium prevents fatigue. When habitual crimi-
nals are about to commit a crime, they take liquor
or opium in very small quantities, in order that
they
may not be rendered unfit by fatigue when
they arrive at the scene of their operations, and
thus lay their lives open to danger. I ascertained
the above during my investigation into the dacoity
cases which occurred in the villages of Rehra and
Bhunnas. The dacoits were Moghias by caste.
55. Habitual criminals cannot induce their
victims to partake of opium and ganja with a
view to committing crime. These drugs cannot
be administered to persons who are not addicted to
them. Now, as regards those persons addicted to
them, opium has its set rules. The person accus-
tomed to a certain quantity cannot take or be in-
duced to take a larger quantity. Opium cannot be
administered to a person in food or drink. It has
such a peculiar smell and taste that the person to
whom it is given will at once be able to detect its
presence. Unless a man takes it to commit suicide
no one else can administer it to him. There is
complete stupefaction in ganja, but its effects lasts
only for ten minutes.
The eating of ganja will not cause unconscious-
ness. In short, a criminal cannot gain his ends
by the administration of either of these drugs.
The bhang drinker can become unconscious and
the administrator can cause unconsciousness by
giving bhang in large quantities. The stupefac-
tion can be induced by this drug without admix.
ture, and it takes a long time for the effects to
wear off. The same applies to the excessive use
of liquor, and criminals go in largely for using
bhang and liquor as the unconsciousness caused by
their administration lasts a long time, which gives
them every opportunity for the commission of
crime.