अमर शहीद अशफ़ाक़उल्ला ख़ाँ: व्यक्तित्व और कृतित्व (काकोरी के अमर शहीद का जीवन व रचनाएँ)

( 57 )
Bhola Nath Naik constable (P. W. 24) used to check and
make entries in the register of this 'tikasar'. Ex. P. 477
is the register. On the 19th April, 1925, two persons came
to the 'tikasar' who gave their names as Mohan Lal and
Badri Pershad. The Examiner of Questioned Documents says
that he is definitely of the opinion that the signature 'Badri
Pershad' is in the hand writing of S. N. Bakshi. On the 27th,
July, 1925, a man came to the 'tikasar' who gave his name as
'Kanhaiya Lal'. He was described in the register as of 'long face,
10 wheat complexion, ordinary build, average height, age 26 years'.
The Examiner of Questioned Documents says the signature 'Kan-
haiya Lal' in the register is probably by the same man who made
certain entries in the Jhansi Municipal register, that is to say, S.
N. Bakshi, but he is not certain about this. It is clearly proved,
however, that Bakshi did visit the 'tikasar' as Bhola Nath
identified him in Jail as one of the men he had seen there. Bhola
Nath also said that he had seen him there two or three times in
1925 prior to the train dacoity. It is also significant that just
above the entry 'Kanhaiya Lal' there is the signature of Raushan
Singh who was an accused in the main case. Raushan Singh was
known at the 'tikasar' and so gave his real name. It should also
be noted that Babu Gobind Bihari, C. I. D. Inspector could find
nobody at the addresses given by 'Badri Pershad' and 'Kanhaiya
Lal'.
Gauri Shankar (P. W. 61) is the pujari of a temple at
Shahjahanpur which was built by the father of Banarsi Lal. He
had occasion to visit Banarsi Lal two or three times a week in
connection with the affairs of this temple. On one occasion
he saw three strangers at Banarsi Lal's house and he saw the O. P. 89.
30 same men the next day at the ghat near his temple. He
identified these men in jail as M. N. Gupta, R. K. Khattri
and S. N. Bakshi.
Gauri Shankar's story is supported by the evidence of Ram
Charan (P. W. 62) who used to occupy the upper story of Banarsi
Lal's house. He also identified in jail these same three men.
He says he first saw Bakshi there in the cold weather two
and a half years ago. He came to visit the three men at the
tikasar of whom M. N. Gupta and R. K. Khattri were two. The
following hot weather, that is the hot weather of 1925, Bakshi
stayed in the house with the same three men. It is clear from this
that Bakshi, M. N. Gupta, R. K. Khattri and probably also Banwari
Lal used to visit Shahjahanpur for the purpose of conferring with
Banarsi Lal and others, if not for other purposes also. It may
also be noted here that this last witness, Ram Charan, further
states that Ram Pershad and Ashfaqullah often used to visit
Banarsi Lal. As he occupied the same house he was clearly in
a position to know about such visits.