THE COLONIAL CASE

[This story takes place in 1956. Our hero is Prashanth Ravichandran, a freelance Indian
detective who oved to !n"land as he didn#t find uch scope for eployent in India.
$e was an e%&IP' officer who resi"ned fro the service to (ecoe a private eye. $e was
around )* years of a"e.+
I was rudely awakened by a sharp nudge in my ribs. I opened my eyes expe!ing !o
be blinded by !he brigh! ligh! o" a nine o#lok sun pouring in !hrough !he hal"
opened windows o" my room$ bu! ins!ead I perei%ed a pi!h&blak darkness all
around me.
I was wondering as !o wha! ould be !he reason "or !his darkness in !he morning$
when I reali'ed !ha! i! was early morning and !ha! !he sun hadn#! risen ye!. As !o !he
ma!!er o" !he sharp nudge I had reei%ed$ I sensed a large person s!anding a! my
bedside. He did me !he "a%our o" !urning on my bedside lamp. As !he room "illed
wi!h ligh! I was able !o reogni'e my rude %isi!or. I! was my old "riend (oger
)Allen.
*Hello +rashan!h$, said )Allen and his deep %oie "illed !he room.
*To wha! do I owe !his pleasure$ (oger -, said I while musing abou! )Allen#s
s!range hoie o" %isi!ing hours.
(oger )Allen was a man who you ould assoia!e wi!h a sulp!ure o" a li!he$ ye!
musular .reek god$ whih was made so !o por!ray power and s!reng!h in measures
beyond !ha! whih is "ound in humans. /u! sulp!ors o" !ha! age hadn#! seen a man
o" !he dimensions o" (oger )Allen oming. He was six "ee! "i%e inhes !all wi!h a
poundage o" abou! !wo hundred whih was ra!her a sharp on!ras! !o my modes!
heigh! o" six "ee! and a weigh! o" almos! a hundred and !wen!y pounds. He was a
highly !rained ex&ommando who "or reasons unknown !o me le"! !he army !o 0oin
!he So!land 1ard as a de!e!i%e.
*The 1ard needs all !he help i! an ge! on !his one$ +rashan!h. I !hough! !ha! i" we
s!ar!ed onsidering "reelaners !hen i! had be!!er be you. I remembered !ha! you
ould piee !oge!her a pu''le ra!her well when I me! you in India$ so I sugges!ed
your name$, said )Allen.
I had helped my "riend ou! o%er a ra!her umbersome ase bak in India in whih
!he So!land 1ard had been alled in "or assis!ane.
*/u! why did you pik suh an unear!hly hour !o pay a %isi! !o a poor "reelane
de!e!i%e "rom India-, I said$ "inally gi%ing %oie !o !he 2ues!ion whih had been
!roubling me "or !he pas! "ew minu!es.
*I ha%e 0us! re!urned "rom 3o%er a"!er ha%ing gone !here !o in%es!iga!e !wo murders
whih had ourred las! e%ening and I needed your help on !his ase immedia!ely$,
he said.
*So$ !his ase onerns !he dea!h o" !he !wo us!oms o""iials a! 3o%er-,
*4ha!5 I! is in !he e%ening papers already - I! ourred 0us! yes!erday you know$
and we a! !he 1ard ha%e been %ery are"ul !o hush i! up.,
*)y dear Inspe!or$ i" I had !he e%ening papers as my only soure o" in"orma!ion
abou! !he goings&on in !he oun!ry$ !hen I wouldn#! be e%en hal" !he de!e!i%e I am. I
ha%e my own soures you know.,
*Ah$ I had almos! "orgo!!en abou! Akash. How is !he old gossipmonger -,
Akash was my !rus!ed "riend and in"ormer bo!h in India and England. His buoyan!
and unsrupulous na!ure had won him !he !rus! o" !he polie "ore as well as !he
less respe!able hara!ers in !he i!y and !hus he was %ery well in"ormed.
*He is !he bes! in"ormer one an ha%e (oger$ and as "or his heal!h$ he is keeping
%ery well. Now as i! looks like I am no! going !o a!h a single wink o" sleep$ le!#s ge!
down !o !he ase$ shall we-,
(oger made himsel" more om"or!able by sea!ing himsel" on !he ouh and began.
*The de!ails o" !he ase are remarkably %ery "ew. The !wo us!oms o""iials were
"ound dead a! 6789 +) by one o" !he dokyard guards. Then a! 67:; he aler!ed !he
polie who a"!er making !heir in%es!iga!ion handed !he ase o%er !o us. Our "orensi
exper!s repor!ed !ha! !he !wo men had been dead "or almos! an hour. One o" !he
o""iials had !he doumen!s o" !he ship <)/A4ALE# lu!hed in his hand. The
liensed owner o" !he ship is a man alled /laise 3ebarry. 4e ran a hek !hrough
his riminal reord and ame !o know !ha! he is wan!ed "or lareny and sale o"
on!raband i!ems in =rane. /u! he esaped !o England and was ne%er augh!. A"!er
s!ar!ing his li"e a"resh he opened his illegal marke! in England. 4e assume !ha! he
"led along wi!h !he <)/A4ALE#. 4e are !rying !o aser!ain his urren! loa!ion bu!
ha%e no! sueeded so "ar. Sine you work ou!side !he sys!em I !hink you migh! be
able !o mee! wi!h more suess. 4e on !he o!her hand will in%es!iga!e on !he
por!side.,
*4ell !hen we seem !o be working agains! a pro"essional who o%ers his !raks well.
Now !ha! I know !he par!iulars o" !his ase$ I !hink I an s!ar! making my own
en2uiries.,
*S!ar! as soon as you an$ +rashan!h and le! me know i" any!hing new rops up. I
will be a! !he 1ard i" you need me. 1ou ha%e !he suppor! o" bo!h !he +olie "ore and
!he So!land 1ard. .oodbye and .odspeed.,
*.ood luk yoursel" and keep up your side o" !he en2uiries$, said I.
A"!er hearing !he par!iulars o" !his ase I was "illed wi!h %igour a! !he !hough! o" a
hallenging mys!ery as business was slak and I had been pining away "or a new
ase !o exerise my in!elle!. I had also been running low on "unds so I welomed
!his ase wi!h wha! one migh! all ou!s!re!hed arms.
A"!er pondering o%er !his ase "or a ouple o" hours$ I rang !he bell a! around >.?8
"or my ser%an! boy !o bring me my sha%ing wa!er. @I was a s!ikler "or being lean&
sha%en.A A"!er sha%ing and ba!hing I !hrew on a grey shir! and an e2ually sombre
pair o" !rousers and wen! downs!airs "or my break"as!. =inishing all !hese rou!ine
day&!o&day a!i%i!ies I rushed ou! !o "ind Akash.
I "ound him a! !he usual spo!. A"!er he "illed me up on !he %arious ourrenes in !he
i!y we se! ou! !o do a bi! o" snooping and spying in !he less respe!able s!ree!s o"
London as i! is here !ha! I !hough! I would "ind !he in"orma!ion so %i!al !o my
in%es!iga!ion. En!rea!ies$ bribes and e%en !hrea!s ouldn#! persuade !he loals !o gi%e
ou! in"orma!ion on !he slippery 3ebarry. I! was as !hough Akash and I wen!
!hrough !he underworld wi!h a "ine&!oo!hed omb$ ye! we ouldn#! uno%er muh.
/y !he !ime we were done wi!h our en2uiries i! was almos! !hree in !he a"!ernoon.
4e sa! down !o a "rugal lunh a! a dus!y es!ablishmen! whih was all I ould a""ord
a! !ha! !ime. 4e disussed our miserable "indings as we a!e.
*4e didn#! ge! muh did we$ hie"-, asked Akash.
*+a!iene. Some!hing is bound !o ome up$, I said. /u! I knew I was losing hope
mysel".
*(igh! now all we know is !ha! he is rih$ %ery rih and !ha! he has almos! e%ery
mob down here in his pay. He is rumoured !o ha%e ome "rom some !ropial oun!ry
in A"ria.,
*I !hink !he underworld has le! me down on !his one. +robably I should %isi! !he
sene o" !he rime., Saying so I go! up !o lea%e.
*I#m sorry I ouldn#! help you on !his one hie"$ bu! I mysel" am surprised a! !he
limi!ed in"orma!ion uno%ered !his !ime., Ha%ing said so he reahed ou! "or his ha!
and oa! bu! didn#! "inish !he a!ion as he rumpled in!o a heap "ollowing a loud
bang.
*Akash555, I exlaimed bu! I knew !ha! he was dead "rom !he limp look abou! his
body.
*4e#re sorry we pu! him away$ bu! we didn#! wan! ei!her you or him meddling !oo
muh in our boss#s a""airs$, said a gru"" Amerian %oie ou! o" nowhere. *4e is
seeing you going around asking 2ues!ions abou! !hings you ain! supposed !o know
abou!. /u! you ain! going !o ge! any in"orma!ion abou! our boss or his business
ause your gonna be dead.,
Saying so !he Amerian emerged "rom a dark orner wi!h his gun poin!ed a! me. On
loser inspe!ion I ould see !ha! he was a he"!y man wi!h a s!rangely mo!!led
oun!enane. He walked a ouple o" s!eps "orward preparing !o "ire bu! !he nex!
seond my ol! re%ol%er ga%e a ry o" sa!is"a!ion "rom under !he !able a! whih I
was sea!ed and he was s!re!hed ou! dead on !he dus!y "loor wi!h a bulle! in his
hes!.
*I wan! you#ll !o know !ha! when your unou!h "riend was mu!!ering !hrea!s$ I had
him o%ered wi!h my pis!ol all !he !ime. +u! down your weapons and walk "i%e s!eps
away "rom !hem$, I ommanded his ompanions who emerged "rom !he shadows.
*I#m warning you#ll$ any sudden mo%es and all o" you will be reuni!ed wi!h your
mos! unpardonable ompanion. The par! o" my brain ruled by my emo!ions !ells me
!ha! I should kill eah one o" you "or murdering one o" !he bes! ompanions one
ould ha%e and one o" !he mos! loyal "riends a person ould ha%e !he pleasure o"
knowing$ bu! !he logial par! !ells me !ha! by killing you#ll I would be desending !o
!he same le%el as your dead "riend. The law will be your exeu!ioner. 1ou will all
er!ainly go !o !he gallows "or !his or a! leas! ge! a li"er. As "or me I will ha%e my
%engeane by bus!ing your boss#s rake!.,
Lis!ening !o my narra!ion o" !he grim "u!ure !ha! was in s!ore "or !hem !hey slowly
baked away. 4i!h !he assis!ane o" a "ew good Samari!ans I bound and gagged
!hem.
Turning !owards one o" !he good men I said$ *Call up So!land 1ard and ask "or
inspe!or (oger )Allen. Say i! is urgen! and men!ion my name$ +rashan!h. Tell
him !o mee! me a! !he loal polie s!a!ion., He rushed o"" !o make !he all.
I !urned my a!!en!ion !o !he o!hers olle!ed !here and said$ *I" you#ll would be so
kind as !o help me !ake !hese !hugs !o !he s!a!ion., A "ew o" !hem ame "orward and
I led !he proession !o !he polie s!a!ion.
On reahing !he s!a!ion I me! )Allen and !oge!her we in!erroga!ed !he gang. 4e
were !old !ha! !heir leader /laise 3ebarry had no! "led !he oun!ry bu! was s!ill here
and !ha! his !rade was s!ill going s!rong. On being in"ormed !ha! I was on his !rail he
had made plans !o "inally "lee !he /ri!ish Isles "or good. 4e learn! !ha! !he main
demand "or his goods was o%erseas. 4e also learn! !ha! !heir main onsignmen! o"
goods was !o lea%e !oday on !he merhan! ship <CON.O# !o Algeria.
*)ain onsignmen! o" wha!$ an-, said an angry and exaspera!ed )Allen. He !oo
was "illed wi!h a %enge"ul anger a! !he news o" poor Akash#s dea!h.
*I don#! know$ sir. I really don#!$, said one o" !he prisoners.
*I didn#! expe! 3ebarry !o go blur!ing ou! his plans !o his in"eriors anyway. /u! all
!he same I had expe!ed more in"orma!ion "rom !hem as !hey were in dire!
ommunia!ion wi!h him$, I said bi!!erly. *As pro%ed earlier !his man o%ers his
!raks well,.
Then suddenly I was s!ruk by an insigh! in!o 3ebarry#s plans. I rushed !o !he
!elephone and alled up !he por! au!hori!ies and go! !he exa! resul!s I had wished
"or. *(oger$ !he ship *)/A4ALE, was 0us! a ruse, I exlaimed.
*How !he deue did you dedue !ha! one-, said a muh be"uddled (oger )Allen.
*I 0us! ame !o know !ha! !he des!ina!ion o" !he <)/A4ALE# was Calais. 4hy
would suh a sheming riminal make !he mis!ake o" re!urning !o !he plae where
he is mos! wan!ed-,
*Now why didn#! I !hink o" !ha! be"ore-, exlaimed )Allen.
*=or "ur!her de!ails as !o his shipping rake!$ I !hink we should go up !o my "la!.,
4e bo!h rushed ou! o" !he polie s!a!ion and on en!ering my "la! I "ished ou! a !wo
day old paper. I "lipped !hrough !he pages wi!h suppressed exi!emen! and on
reahing one o" !he las! pages I spread ou! !he page in "ron! o" )Allen and
displayed !he ap!ion7

VIOLENCE IN THE COLONIES: VIOLENCE IN THE COLONIES:
ARMED MOBS RESIST EUROPEAN RULE IN CONGO, ARMED MOBS RESIST EUROPEAN RULE IN CONGO,
GOLD COAST AND ALGERIA. GOLD COAST AND ALGERIA.
*4here do you !hink 3ebarry#s main shipmen! is headed !o-, I sugges!ed !o !he
inspe!or.
*O" ourse55 4ha! a "ool I ha%e been$ he supplies arms !o !he ex!remis!s in A"ria$,
exlaimed !he inspe!or.
*4e mus! %isi! !he dokyard immedia!ely be"ore i!#s !oo la!e.,
The !wo o" us rushed bak !o !he polie s!a!ion !o aler! !he polie abou! 3ebarry#s
plans. A"!er brie"ing !he polie and arranging an enoun!er we made our way ou!
and hailed !he only !axi on !he s!ree!. As !he !axi ame lose$ !he doors "lung open
and "rom wi!hin "our men leap! ou! and knoked us ou!.
The nex! !hing I knew was !ha! I was in !he mus!y hold o" a ship !ied up !o a hair. I
saw )Allen similarly !ied up nex! !o me. On losely obser%ing !he kno! on !he rope
I ould see !ha! !hey had done a slip shoddy 0ob o" i!.
*Luky "or me !he person who !ied us up was no! a sou!$, I remarked !o mysel".
A"!er undoing my kno! I was abou! !o ge! up when a "ore"ul hand pulled me bak
in!o my hair. I! was )Allen.
*4e#re being obser%ed$, he said !hrough pursed lips. On seeing my s!ar!led
expression he said$ *I undid my ropes a while bak. On s!udying !he "aul!y kno! on
your hand I dedued !ha! mine would be !he same.,
Then suddenly ou! o" !he darkness a door opened. A !all and lanky man en!ered
"ollowed by ano!her.

*4ake our gues! up Tikolo, remarked !he !all man.
*There#ll be no need "or !ha!$, said )Allen.
*Ah55 So you#ll are up already. Le! me in!rodue mysel". I am /laise 3ebarry and
you are en0oying my hospi!ali!y aboard !he ship <CON.O#.,
*4hy are you doing !his- 4hy are you rea!ing suh an in!erna!ional hullabaloo
wi!h your arms rake!eering-, I asked.
*1ou are "rom India$ aren#! you )r.(a%ihandran - Then you o" all people mus!
sympa!hise wi!h my ause. I wish !o gi%e Algeria$ !he Congo and many o!her s!a!es
wha! your oun!ry go! muh earlier. IN3E+EN3ENCE. So many poor A"rian and
Asian oun!ries su""er a! !he hands o" !hese European parasi!es. The imperialis!
na!ions drain !he li"e and eonomy o" e%en !he poores! o" !he na!ions.

*)y "a!her who was a =renhman married an Algerian woman. He was a 0us! and
noble man. He on his dea!hbed !old me !o "igh! "or !he righ!s o" !hese na!ions e%en
!hough he was an European himsel". =rom !hen on I ha%e u! mysel" o"" "rom my
European rela!i%es and ha%e %owed !o libera!e !hese na!ions who are inapable o"
libera!ing !hemsel%es.
*1our mo!i%es may be 0us!$ man$ bu! you are going abou! i! in !he wrong way$, I
said.
*4rong or righ! are %ery rela!i%e !erms$ )r. (a%ihandran$, he said wi!h a
"iereness whih bordered on sa%agery.
Bus! !hen (oger di%ed on !op o" 3ebarry and while !hey were loked in lose omba!
I slunk ou! o" my hair and knoked !he guard ou!. Taking his gun I sho! a! 3ebarry
who had by now go!!en !he be!!er o" )Allen and was s!rangling him. 3ebarry
rolled !o !he ground dead.
*There lies a man who had 0us! ideals bu! somewhere along !he road los! his sense o"
righ! or wrong$, I remarked.
4e s!eal!hily proeeded up on!o !he dek and neu!rali'ed !he o!hers who were !here.
4e !ook on!rol o" !he ship and s!eered !owards !he shore.
As I s!ood upon !he dek wa!hing !he glorious sunse! I "el! relie%ed !ha! I ould
on!ribu!e !owards main!aining in!erna!ional peae. /u! as I remembered !he loss
o" a loyal "riend and !he dea!h o" a man wi!h 0us! ideals aused by me I ouldn#!
help !hinking$ *4e migh! ha%e bough! peae bu! a! wha! os!C-,
[ [MY NAME IS PRASHANTH RAVICHANDRAN AND I AM THE MY NAME IS PRASHANTH RAVICHANDRAN AND I AM THE
AUTHOR OF THIS STORY. I AM 14 YEARS OF AGE. I STUDY IN AUTHOR OF THIS STORY. I AM 14 YEARS OF AGE. I STUDY IN
THE NINTH STANDARD IN DEHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NERUL, NAVI THE NINTH STANDARD IN DEHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NERUL, NAVI
MUMBAI] MUMBAI]