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(Ixxii) Ill-treatment of the wife of a British subject, native of India, by the Bushire
Police, 1873.
458. In July 1878 the Resident forwarded copies of some correspondence
which passed between him and the Gover
Political A., November 1878, Not. 132*148.
nor of Bushire relative to the ill-treatment of
the wife of one of the Residency sowars by the Bushire Police, and a letter
which he addressed to Her Majesty’s Chargd d’Affaircs at Tehran on the
subject.
459- It appears that in the beginning of the month of July this woman was
found alone outside the precincts of the Residency by some subordinates of the
Police Darogha, arrested by them for some reason or other and carried off first
to the Darogha's house and then to the house of one Dehbashee Kasim. On
the way she was very roughly treated and two bracelets, which she valued at
370 krans, taken from her. Information was then conveyed to the Residency by
one of the Darogha’s men that a woman, who said that she was the wife of one
of the Residency sowars, was in custody, and the Residency Ferrashbashee went
to the Dehbashee’s house and had her released.
460. The woman stated that she had gone to pray at the tomb of a friend
of hers, and that the Darogha’s men had there met her, and wished to extort
money from her, and when she refused to give them anything, they beat her, took
away her bracelets, and carried her to the Darogha’s house.
461. The Residency Munshi was accordingly sent to the Governor of
Bushire to procure the restoration of the bracelets and the punishment of the
Darogha and his men. The bracelets were restored, but the Governor suggested
that it would be better not to press the question of punishment.
462. The Residency Apothecary was then examined, and he deposed that
the woman had received some severe bruises on her hand and side, and the
evidence of two witnesses, who said that they had seen the woman arrested near
the Jewish grave-yard beaten and dragged to the town, was also recorded.
463. After taking this evidence the Resident wrote to the Governor pointing
out that the woman was a Saiyid of respectable family, and that the outrage was
of a peculiarly brutal nature, and he added that the Darogha on several previous
occasions had interfered with British subjects. He therefore demanded that the
men who had actually committed the assault should be punished, and the Darogha
dismissed, and requested that the Governor would report the case to the Moh-
tamid-ul-Mulk if he did not feel able to settle the matter in this way.
464. To this the Governor replied that the woman had been arrested with
a stranger in a suspicious place, and that she was released and her bracelets returned
as soon as it was ascertained that she was connected with the Residency. He had
moreover made enquiries from the witnesses of the occurrence, and it appeared
from their statements that the Darogha and his men were not in fault. With
regard to the statement, “that the Darogha was constantly interfering with
British subjects,’’ the Governor remarked that it was impossible to know who
were British subjects, as no detailed list had ever been supplied him, and that no
complaints of misconduct had ever been made against the Darogha by any of
the Residency servants, but if the Resident thought that the town could do with
out a Darogha he would dismiss him.
465. The Resident then wrote that the application for a list of British sub
jects had been refused for good reasons, which were approved by the Shah s
Ministers, and that in any case the woman’s name would not have been specifi
cally entered in the list as she was a purda nishin. The woman’s statements had
been substantiated by evidence, and if the Governor approved of the conduct of
the Darogha and his subordinates there was nothing more to be said. If, on tne
other hand, he thought they were to blame, but objected to the punishment pro
posed, the Resident would like to know what punishment he would suggest-
466. To this the Governor replied that in deference to the Residents
wishes he had dismissed the Darogha’s man who was concerned in the matter.
