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State for Colonial Affairs: He was introduced to me by private friends, and as I have served as a Member of Her Majesty's Indian Civil Service in the Amritsar District of the Punjab, where Utter Singh's home is, and know his language and his country, and the brave people to which he belongs, I was led to listen to his story. I should, however, mention that I have no personal recollection of any of his family, nor of himself; though, at our last interview, he stated that he recollects an official visit of mine to his village some 25 years ago, when he was a boy. Beyond this accidental acquaint-
ance,
I have had no previous interest in, and have had no deal- ings with Utter Singh; and have undertaken to write this simply because I may be able to help a Sikh subject and servant of Her Majesty, who appears to me to need assistance in stating his case,
a case which I think should be fully placed before the Right Honble. Her Majesty's Secretary of State.
5. His story is that, on the 3rd. Dec. 1896, he was suddenly called up by Captain May, his Commanding Officer, and confronted with one da Rocha, a Telephone clerk in the Police Station, who, not without hesitation and even with grave variation of statement, said that Petitioner, Utter Singh, had given him, da Rocha, 50 dollars, as a loan; that he Petitioner denied the allegation, stating that the money had been given to da Rocha by one Ganda Singh, an Excise Official, in his, Utter Singh's presence;
was then and there suspended from office;
that he, Utter Singh, that Ganda Singh
had been called in the evening of the same day, and stated he had given the 50 dollars to da Rocha, who had repaid it six months previously in the presence of witnesses; and da Rocha
had promised to show Captain May the bond, which he, da Rocha, had in his house; that on the 10th. December, he petitioner was told the Governor had ordered his dismissal; that he
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