CO129-288 - Public Offices & Others - 1898 — Page 306

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5.- julgenud projivliced as the matter has been from the first under a misapprehension of the circumstances, as. set forthy interested parties before the Captain Superintendent, it has been unfortunately further prejudiced by sittain ea that have cropped up recently against men of the type of Gunda Singh, but your Petitioner unflinchingly believes that his vrednet in the matter of the alleged transaction with Da Rocha will bear thorough investigation, and that lie ako condifen, believes that he will come out of that inquiry without the slightest tar or tarnish on his character, and that he will be from the ignominy attacking to a dismissal.

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l'etitioner, therefore, earnestly prays that, taking all the circumstances respectfully urged by him in this and the provise. Petitious, your Freellency will be graciously pleased not to condenm a servant of the Crown in the position of your Paition * mahcord, but that your Excellency will be pleased to appoint an independent Commission of Luquiry to formally investigat the sondues of the Petitioner in the transaction astributed with Da Roche, and to act on the Report of the Comission. Your Petitioner cannot but entertain an honest belief that such an inquiry will prove him not guilty of any brouck attributed to him of any of the Rules and Regulations, in force at the time the alleged transaction was said to have taken place, for the general government and discipline of the Police.

Or, if the anpointment of an independent Commission of Luquiry be deemed inexpedient by your Excellency, your Petitioner innbly prays that your Excellency will be pleased to review, ou the grounds urged by him, your Excelieucy's desion na to the dismissal of the Petitioner from the Pollen Foree, or to so far modify your Excellency's decision as to grert to your Petitioner the pension honestly accruing to him after almost the service of a lifetime, and to whith your Petitioner ventures to say in this Petition also bardly any member of the Indian Police Force can now lay claim,

Sm

And Your Petitioner will ever pay, &o, da

Dated this 24th day of April, 1897.

UTTER SINGH,

LATE INDIAN SRIGrant-MAJOR

HONGKONG POLICE FORCE,

HONGKONG, 4th June, 1897.

On behalf of myself and the signatories I have the honour to forward the enclosed Petition respecting the case of Ex-Sergeant-Major Utter Singhy, of the Police Force, which I beg you will please place before His Excellency The Governow for his favourable consideration.

I have the honour to he,

Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

E. PABANEY.

To

THE HOSOURASLE

J. R. STEWART TOCKHART,

COLONIAL SECRETARY.

3. Your Petitioners heard with great regret that on the 3rd day of December, 1896, the mid Utter Singh was dismissed from the said Police Force by the Houonrable the Captain Superintendent of Police for an alleged broach of the Police regulations, and that he was thus not only deprived of the pension and gratuity that had accrued to him after wany

yours of hard and faithful servicc, but that also the ignominy of a dispinal was inflicted on him..

4-Your Petitioners believe that the circumstances which led to the dismissal of Utter Singh were au alleged implication in some money-lending transaction, said to have transphed some three years ago, and that being implicated, as alleged, in such transaction was and is against the regulations of the said Police Force.

5-Your Petitioners are informed that all the circumstances attaching to the alleged money-landing #ansaction bave beca duly set forth in representations mode to your Excellency by Fittor Singh, but your Petitioners extremely regret that the redress which the said Utter Singh sceks, on the plea of not guilty, has been absolutely denied to him. Your Petitioners further regret that, beyond a certain informal procedure of inquiry adopted by the Captain Superintendent of Police, Utter Singh was pover definitely informed of the exact nature of the charges made against him, and your Petitioners,. therefore, respectfully submit that he lid not had those opportunities of meeting those charges us could have thoroughly exculpated him in the eyes of his superior officer, though in the informal inquiry made as to an alleged leading of fifty dollars some three years ago to one I Koehn, a telephone clerk in the Central Police Station, it has not failed to come out most prominently that Da Rocha repeated one story before the Captain Superinioadert under that officer's previous inquiry ia Utver Singh's absence, but radically subverted it when confronted with him, so much so that the Capraie Superintendent was not slow to tax him severely for so prevaricating. This sirenstange enggot but have a double bearing. First, that the informal inquiry had not been sufficient enough for eliciting the facts of the case, mud, secondly, fiat the safeguards instrumental in guarding against deliberate prevarication had been altogether wanting in the Captain &perintendent's informal inquiry.

6.- Your Petitioners will not pretend to shield the said Utter Singh from the just penalty of any breach of Police Regulations, but your Petitioners feel that the excoprio.ai severity with which he has been condemned and dealt with almost unheard, and the extent of the punishment inflicted on him, have not been fully appreciated by your Excellency, and your Petitioners caunot, but regret that that severity is further enhanced many fold when Utter dagl's prayer for an independent Commission of Inquiry reunius altogether unhooded..

7.-Your Petitioners cannot but be aware that ouder a misapprobansion of the circumstances, as set forth by interested parties before the Captain Superintendent, Ulter Singh's case has from the first bean prejuigoiad prejudiced, and that it has been further prejudiced by certain aspects of the Sikh characteristics that have cropped up against them. in some of the cases that were recently hourd in the Supreme Court. But your Petitioners beg to observe that, on the whole, the Sikhs are not so very black as they are painted. That they are not exempt from ecrmin, failings your Petitioners can hardly gainsay. They have, as Sir Lepel Griffin, a fortner Lient.-Governor of the Pnujaab has described them, "as keen a knowledge of the value of monoj, and ua great a love of saving as the Scotch." But that they are dignified,. sober, and orderly men, obedient to discipline, and devotedly attached to their officers is also a certificate that goes from. the very same eisent authority,

8.--Your Petitioners have all along observed that Utter Singh, Wke unto many others in the Police Force of this. Colony, is a type representing the latter characteristics, and though possibly he may go under the former entegory as well, still your Petitioners believe that that boing a trait common to many nations is no bar to a prayer for fair hearing on the true merits of his individual case, and that, therefore, your Petitioners venture to approach your Excellency with a very respectful prayer that your Excellency may be pleased to review your decision in Utter Singh's casc, and to grant that redress and that jualice to him which the merits of his case, in conjunction with the consideration of his long sad faithful service: of nearly eighteen years, entitle him to as a servant of the Crown..

And Your Petitioners will ever pray, &c.

HONGKONG, S1st May, 1897.

E. PARANEY.

F. D. ServA.

B. L. BATTLIWALLA.

To

His EXCELLENCY

R:

SOR WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,

› COMMANDRR-IN-CHIEF OF THE COLONY OF Hongkong and TIS DEPENDENCIES AND VICE-ÅDMIRAL OF TIO SANE.

OF THE UNDERSIGNED INDIAN BRITISŢI MERCHANTS, TRADERS

ERS RESIDING IN THE COLONY OF HONGKONG,

Pumpuros na budo

f'ditioners are bulinu: Merchants, Traders and loyal subjects of Her Majesty Queen of Great Britaiu and

Crying on business in Hongkong nad elsewhere.

2. Lisey have is town flave Singh, Inte Indian Sergeant-Major of the Hongkong Police Forer, for a number of years, and baya avery wason to believe that as a Police Offert he hus served Her Majesty the Empress in the Hongkong Polier for upwards of eighteen years, and has daring that tin: hy his good conduct deservedly carned the respect and confidence of all his superior officers, as he has done of your Petitiouers, and that your Petitioners could not but fool gratihert that such conduet deservedly secured him the promotion, in 1896, to the highest tank the Indian section of the Hongkong Police Force mi aspire to, that is to the rank of Sergeant-Major.

P. N. DRALIA.

8. D. MUNSHME.

A, B. TALATI.

D. D. TALATI.

E. D. KOTWAL

C. B. MoWRAWALLA,

C. A. CAMROCETN.

H. EamaM)

A. G. Busray,

M. M. C. JUNATY,

T. K. KAKAJI WALLA.

H. M. S. EMAIL,

ABDOOLA JOUSABHOY,

P. C. PATELL.

C. M. RITESANIA,

NAORGJEL BRICCAJI BALSARA.

RueroMSI BUMONJEE,

H. RETTONJSE.

PISTONJEE NANABUOY,.

M. WANDREWALLA.

DADY M. D. LANGRANA.

D. J. PETIGURAM,

E. HATTOOLLA ĜASTEL

S. ABDOOLADER BUSKAL

R. C. VANIA.

S. M. ALLEROY,

F. RAHIM.

TYESZI MOTARROY.

JAFFERDAOY S. TYEBALLY.

D. F. TUMBOL V.,

P. M. SETUNA,

J. DUKASUL

M. M. MEHTA,

J. M. CAMA.

H. M. H. NEMAZEE.

M. HOOSEN.

M. M. TACKEY.

C. E. MEHTA,

B. S. Murra.

P. M. VELVAN.

II. A. SHIRAZÉE..

E. EBRAHIM..

299

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