THE TRIAL OF RAMA KAMAT

I'm sharing the real life story of Rama Kamat that inspired this story I wrote.

The following story is 100% true.

In the year 1720, (thirty seven years before the Battle of Plassey that decisively establish British Rule in India), when the East India Company (EIC) was only establishing its hegemony over a group of islands in the Arabian Sea we know today as Mumbai, a rich merchant living in the then Bombay by the name of Rama Kamat (also sometimes spelled Kamati or Kamathi or Komathi) was charged with corresponding with a person the British called 'Angria'.

According to them, 'Angria' was a pirate chief who wrecked havoc in the Arabian Sea, destroying many EIC ships.

Rama Kamat, who was an old man at the time of his arrest, had served the EIC faithfully for many decades. He was a prominent citizen of British Bombay. His arrest had caused a sensation.

He was arrested, tried, and convicted on hearsay evidence extracted from his servant via extreme torture. They crushed the servant's thumbs by screwing them with iron rods, forced him to 'confess' that he had indeed heard from a dancing girl that his master routinely communicated with the 'pirate'.

Not only was this hearsay evidence admitted, it was also the only piece of evidence against one of the most respectable citizens at that time who was also a generous philanthropist.

When the Chief Justice of the court Mr. Lawrence Parker objected, he was dismissed.

Governor Boone, the Governor of Bombay, not only was the judge presiding over the case, he was also the prosecutor, and of course he was convinced by his own arguments of Rama's guilt.

Rama Kamat was given a life sentence. His vast wealth was put up for auction at a ridiculous price. Many of his assets were bought by the Governor himself at the highly reduced prices he himself had set.

It was only years later that Rama's innocence came to light. But by this time, the poor man had already died in prison. His family had languished in poverty.

Moral of the story- Kindness is thrown away upon evil.

In the next post, we will discover if 'Angria' was really a pirate.