Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?
- (a) C. R. Das
- (b) Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami
- (d) M. A. Jinnah
Why the answer is (b)
• After the Chauri Chaura incident of 4 February 1922, in which a police station was burnt and 22 policemen killed, 225 people were tried and the sessions court sentenced 172 to death.
• Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, assisted by lawyers including Krishna Kant Malaviya, argued the appeal before the Allahabad High Court, which in 1923 confirmed only 19 death sentences and reduced the rest — option (b).
• C.R. Das is remembered for defending Aurobindo in the Alipore Bomb case; Kitchlew was a Punjab leader jailed after Jallianwala Bagh; Jinnah defended Tilak in his sedition trial.
• Malaviya's defence was widely praised as saving over 150 lives.
• Hence option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) C. R. Das
- C.R. Das defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore case, not the Chauri Chaura accused.
- (c) Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami
- Kitchlew and Nizami were not the defence counsel at Chauri Chaura.
- (d) M. A. Jinnah
- Jinnah defended Tilak, not the Chauri Chaura accused.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.