§ MR. O'GRADYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the punitive police sent to protect the Moslems at Meherpur shot dead two of the Moslems and severely injured many others, and that the cost of the punitive police was placed upon the Hindus; and whether he will cause a public inquiry to be made into this matter with a view to finding out the reason that induced the authorities to send the putative police to the locality, and as to why the cost was only placed upon the Hindus.
§ MR. MORLEYI have no knowledge of any such occurrences at Meherpur. If my hon. friend means Sherpur, it is the case that a riot occurred there in September in which the police, firing in self-defence, killed two rioters and wounded eight. The additional police had been stationed there in the interests of the public tranquillity, on account of the serious disturbances that took place in the district in April and May. I am not aware that they were intended to protect any one section of the population rather than any other; nor have I any reason to believe that the cost was placed only upon the Hindus.
§ *MR. REES () Montgomery BoroughsIs the fact that two members of their community were shot a reason for charging the cost of the punitive police against the Mahomedans, who form a majority of the population, but are the victims of the boycott?
§ [No Answer was returned.]