Life of Ahmad — Page 651
as POLICE HARASS AHMAD as 651 the late Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan and K. B. Barkat Ali Khan of Lahore, were all in turn suspected of having a hand in the murder. Some Hindu papers discussed the necessity of taking away the work of investigation from the hand of the Muhammadan Inspector of Police and of entrusting it to a Hindu instead. The Akhb a r-e- ‘ A m , on the other hand, had immediately after the murder declared that it was absurd to say that Lekhr a m’s death was planned by the Muhammadans for he was as bitter an enemy of the San a tan Dharm Hindus as of the Muhammadans and abused Hindu and Muslim saints alike. All these rumours, I beg to submit, should be equally rejected or credited. Moreover, the rumour against me was only based on the above-mentioned prophecy which had only been made after much persistence on the part of the Pandit. Another noteworthy fact in this connection is that, after receiving the fatal wound, the Pandit was in his senses for over three hours and freely talked with his friends and with those attending on him. He had then no hope of life. Had he suspected me of participation in causing his death he would have made a declaration to that effect, or at any rate told his friends about it. But no such word issued from his mouth. It clearly shows that the Pandit himself never thought of suspecting me in the matter. What weight can, under these