§ MR. SEYMOUR KEAY (Elgin and Nairn)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is now aware that Mehdi Hassan, a Civil Servant of the Government of India lent to the Hyderabad State, was dismissed from his post as Home Secretary in that State without reason assigned, and in consequence has applied to be re-employed by the Indian Government under the 1409 ordinary Civil Service Rules; whether he has also received information that the Government of India have refused Mehdi Hassan's application and have ordered him to send in his resignation by the 31st of this month on pain of dismissal, basing their decision on the nature of certain evidence given at the trial of a certain action, notwithstanding that the Appellate Court has ruled that the evidence in question had been admitted in error by the Lower Court, and notwithstanding that no judgment has been recorded on said evidence by either Court; whether there is any precedent for thus dismissing an Indian Civil Servant on the ground of evidence which has been admitted in error by a Court of Law, and the truth of which has not been tested or established by any judicial finding; and whether he will take steps to secure that no injustice is done to Mehdi Hassan?
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. H. H. FOWLER,) Wolverhampton, E.I have learnt from the Government of India that Medhi Hassan was dismissed from his employment by His Highness the Nizan, though not without reason assigned. He applied to be re-employed by the Government of India, who refused the application and ordered him to resign subject to any representation which he might make within two months. The Government of India based their decision on the circumstances in which Medhi Hassan's employment at Hyderabad terminated. I have no knowledge of any ruling having been given by an Appellate Court in regard to the Mittra trial; but, so far as Medhi Hassan is concerned, the decision was one entirely within the power of the Government of India, and Medhi Hassan has not exercised his right of appeal to the Secretary of State. If he does, the circumstances will be carefully considered.