Kakori Conspiracy Case
11.08.2025
Kakori Conspiracy Case
Context
On the centenary of the Kakori incident (9 August 2025), India’s Prime Minister paid homage to the revolutionaries involved, acknowledging their role and sacrifice in the fight against colonial rule.
The Kakori Train Robbery was a bold operation carried out on 9 August 1925 by members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA). The aim was twofold: to obtain funds for revolutionary activities and to make a symbolic statement against British economic exploitation in India.
Key Figures
Some of the principal participants included:
- Ram Prasad Bismil
- Ashfaqulla Khan
- Chandrashekhar Azad
- Rajendra Lahiri
- Roshan Singh
- Manmathnath Gupta
Background & Planning
At the time, members of the HRA felt that peaceful protests and petitions were ineffective against colonial oppression. They urgently needed money to continue their struggle.
A train travelling between Saharanpur and Lucknow, carrying government treasury funds, was selected as the target.
The Incident
- Date & Place: 9 August 1925, near Kakori railway station in present-day Uttar Pradesh.
- Action: Revolutionaries stopped the 8-Down train, seized the guard’s coach, and took the treasury cash.
Aftermath
The British authorities responded with an extensive crackdown.
- Arrests: Most participants were captured within months.
- Executions (1927): Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan Singh were hanged.
- Imprisonment: Several others received long-term jail sentences.
- Evasion: Chandrashekhar Azad escaped capture and remained active until his death in 1931.
Later Developments
Although the HRA was weakened after the robbery, it re-emerged in 1927–1928 with a new ideological direction. Under leaders such as Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Shiv Verma, socialist principles were integrated into the movement.
In 1928, the group adopted the name Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), reflecting its commitment to a revolutionary socialist programme.