266
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
Serial
No.
Province.
Name of witness.
Number
of
witness.
Name of Criminal.
Witness's view of the case.
Result of examining the records.
69 Assam
Mr. Moran
33 Lala Kamar
"I had a case of a man in my
garden who cut off his wife's
head whilst temporarily in-
sane under the effects of the
drug."
It is a striking fact that Mr.
Moran was examined at
great length before the Ma-
gistrate and never mentioned
ganja.
The record is quite
against the ganja theory.
The man seems to have been
addicted to liquor.
70
Do.
Mr. MCCabe
5 Not given
"A Nepalese under the ex-
citement caused by bhang cut
down an inoffensive person
whom he had never met
before and with whom he
had no sort of quarrel what-
ever.
The man was drunk at the
time and committed the mur-
der in a drunken fray of
which the principal feature
was that he demanded more
drink.
71 Punjab
Mr. Maconachie
8 Allah Baksh
In 1892 "a fakir excited with
bhang made a furious at-
tack on a companion with his
club."
The man in a quarrel with his
wife wounded her with an
axe. Only one witness spoke
to the use of bhang.
Mr.
Maconachie himself tried the
case.
72
Do.
Mr. Dames
9 Kalu Khan, Khosa "Kalu Khan stabbed a man
with whom he had no previ-
ous quarrel while under the
influence of bhang."
This is a very interesting case
in connection with an effort on
the part of the Punjab Gov-
ernment to make the Khosas
give up all intoxicants.
73 Madras
Colonel Chrystie
65 Shekh Hussain
"A peon, having been fined
four annas, got into a high
state of irritation and went
and smoked bhang in a mak-
kan in Anantapur at noon.
The bhang appears to have
excited him to madness."
He beat an old man to death,
and threatened others with
a club. [ This case is quoted
by several other Madras
witnesses.]
This man's asylum history
should be read as well as the
judicial records. He is one
of the 1892 cases. He was
punished as stated for a crime
committed (as was supposed)
when he was intoxicated.
But inquiry into his antece-
dents and his jail and asylum
history show recurrent in-
sanity, the outbreaks of which
are quite independent of
ganja.
74
to
76
Do.
Mr. Stokes
10 Three cases
"The 1st class Inspector of
Police, Tirupatur taluk, gives
three instances of murder
which he attributes to this
cause."
There is really nothing to show
that any of these cases was
due to hemp drugs. They
were cases of murder of a
concubine in one case and a
wife in the other two.
77
Do.
Mahomed
Anwar
Saheb.
51 Kuppia
This man killed his child on
Kartika Nakshatram
day
"to send the child to God."
There was evidence that he
was under the influence of
bhang.
The High Court adopted this
view of the case.
78 Bombay
Nanabhai Cowasjee
60 Not given
In 1885 certain Talavias com-
mitted a riot in Broach, in
which Mr. Prescott (District
Superintendent of Police) was
killed.
The present report of the Col-
lector shows that this riot
cannot be attributed to hemp
drugs.
79
Do.
Mr. Sinclair
6 Kunjandas
A servant entered his master's
bed-room and attempted to
throttle his master's wife.
He was supposed to be under
the influence of bhang.
The records bear out this view.
80
Do.
Do.
Do. Not given
2. A Brahman was found in a
temple with the broken
image of a goddess. He was
acquitted on the ground of
insanity due to hemp drugs.
The man was acquitted for
want of evidence that he had
committed the offence at all.
He had, moreover, been insane
for twelve years, and his in-
sanity was attributed to seve-
ral causes other than hemp
drugs.
81
Do.
Colonel Humfrey
51
Do.
A sepoy ran amok and (before
the Sessions Court) pleaded
that bhang had been given
to him. "I do not think the
bhang caused him to commit
the crime. I think it was
established that the man had
taken bhang, and if he did
take it the crime
was
committed within half an
hour afterwards."
The High Court did not con-
sider the taking of the bhang
established. They held also
that if taken, it was taken
some hours before the offence;
and they held that all his
proceedings showed that he
was not under the influence
of the drug alleged to have
been given to him, and that
the offence was premeditated.
G. C. Press, Simla.—No. 98 H. D. G.—21-1-95.—1,510.