§ DR. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether he has received any information as to the alleged decapitation of dead dacoits by a party of Anglo-Indian Police, near Bassein, or regarding the "practice" alleged by The Times correspondent to exist among our Police Force in Lower Burmah of "decapitating dead shan dacoits and carrying their heads about the country?"
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)In reply to a telegram which was sent, as I stated last week, by the Secretary of State, the following information has been received from the Viceroy:—
Following from Chief Commissioner:—It is true that heads of three notorious dacoits killed in a skirmish were brought into Bassein for purposes of identification. The heads were taken to wounded men in hospital who had been wounded by the dacoits, and were identified by those sufferers. The heads were then buried. It is true that heads of dacoits who are killed are sometimes brought into head-quarters for the purpose of identification, by reason of difficulty or impossibility of bringing in dead bodies from inaccessible places. Heads are not exposed or carried about the country for show.The Secretary of State has taken such steps as will prevent this mode of identifying dacoits being continued, and the Viceroy telegraphs that he has issued the necessary orders.