Meantime Bemani had taken out a summons for causing grievous hurt against Ramani Babu and his servants.  When the case came on for hearing before a Deputy Magistrate at Ghoria, all the accused pleaded “not guilty.”  They could not deny the fact that he had been beaten within an inch of his life, but alleged provocation on his part, inasmuch as he had fomented a rebellion among the ryots.  Jadu Babu was not idle.  He provided the complainant with first-rate legal advice and paid all the expenses of adducing witnesses.  Emboldened by his support, at least a dozen of Ramani Babu’s ryots who were present while he was being thrashed, came forward to give evidence of the brutal treatment he had received and to deny the counter charge brought by the defendants.  Thus the case ended in the conviction of Ramani Babu and three of his servants, who were sentenced to fines aggregating Rs. 200.  Then the charges preferred by Sadhu were taken up by the Deputy Magistrate.  As they were of a far graver character, the barrister brought from Calcutta by Ramani Babu obtained a week’s adjournment in order to procure rebutting evidence.

At this time the Muharram festival was in full swing.  Sadhu was too busy in getting up his case to take part in it; but he sent his wife to some relatives at Ghoria, while his young sister-in-law, who was suffering from fever, remained at home.  He was aroused one night by loud screams coming from the hut occupied by this girl.  On running out to see what was the matter, he fell into the arms of a stranger who was crossing his yard in a desperate hurry.  A struggle ensued, but the intruder managed to escape, not before Sadhu had recognised him as a ryot of Ramani Babu, named Karim.  On asking his sister-in-law what had happened, the poor girl told him with many sobs that a man had broken into the hut, and awakened her by seizing her throat, but had been scared away by her screams.  As soon as day dawned, Sadhu ran to the house of Karim’s uncle, in the hope of finding him there.  The uncle, however, declared that Karim had been absent since the previous evening, and on learning the grave charge preferred by Sadhu, he begged with folded hands that the scandal might be stifled, at any cost, for the sake of both families.  Sadhu would promise nothing, but for obvious reasons he laid no information against Karim.

Two days later he was engaged on his evening meal, when a Sub-Inspector appeared.  After asking whether his name was Sadhu, the policeman slipped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists and turned a deaf ear to his bewildered request for information as to the charge preferred against him.  Thus he was ignominiously taken to the station lock-up, followed by a crowd, whom he begged to inform Jadu Babu of his trouble.  The latter was speedily fetched by a compassionate neighbour, and, after conversing with the police officer, he told Sadhu that he was actually charged with murder!  Karim’s uncle had informed the police that, his nephew having disappeared since the day of the alleged trespass, he suspected Sadhu of foul play.  An inquiry followed which led to Sadhu’s transfer to the district jail.