§ 1. Mr. MOLSONasked the Secretary of State for India whether the police had any information in advance of the raid on Chittagong in April, 1930; and, if so, why were adequate preventive measures not taken?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Sir Samuel Hoare)The police had information of activities on the part of members of terrorist gangs which led them to suspect that an outrage was being planned. On the strength of this information a general search was arranged to take place on the 20th April, but it was forestalled by the terrorists carrying out the raid on the night of the 18th-19th April.
§ Mr. MOLSONHad the police information a long time before the raid had been arranged to be carried out?
§ Sir S. HOAREI cannot say whether they had information a long time before, but they certainly had information before the raid. They were in some difficulty owing to the lapsing of a part of the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act. If that Act had not been lapsing, they would have had a much stronger force to deal with suspects.