I, my mother, and Gopal were present. After
removing the two gold ornaments, he handed them
over to Gopal, who was at the time standing near me.
When he killed Cassi, Tookaram threatened to strangle
me also if I informed any one of this.
Gopal and myself were then standing at the door
of our room, and we both were threatened by Tookaram.
My mother, Baya, had seized the legs of the
deceased at the time she was killed, and whilst
she was being tied to the post. Cassi then made
a noise. Tookaram and my mother took part in killing
the girl. After the murder her body was
wrapped up in a mattress and kept on the loft
over the door of our room. When Cassi was strangled,
the door of the room was fastened from the inside
by Tookaram. This deed was committed shortly
after my return home from work in the mill.
Tookaram put the body of the deceased in the mattress,
and, after it was left on the loft, he went to
have his head shaved by a barber named Sambhoo
Raghoo, who lives only one door away from me.
My mother and myself then remained in the possession
of the information. I was slapped and threatened
by my paramour, Tookaram, and that was the only
reason why I did not inform any one at that time.
When I told Tookaram that I would give information
of the occurrence, he slapped me. The accused
Gopal was asked by Tookaram to go back to his
room, and he did so, taking away with him the two
gold ornaments and the ‘lota’.
Yesso Mahadhoo, a brother-in-law of Tookaram,
came to the house and asked Taokaram why he was washing,
the water-pipe being just opposite. Tookaram
replied that he was washing his dhotur, as a
fowl had polluted it. About 6 o’clock of
the evening of that day my mother gave me three
pice and asked me to buy a cocoanut, and I gave
the money to Yessoo, who went and fetched a cocoanut
and some betel leaves. When Yessoo and others
were in the room I was bathing, and, after I
finished my bath, my mother took the cocoanut
and the betel leaves from Yessoo, and we five went
to the sea. The party consisted of Tookaram,
my mother, Yessoo, Tookaram’s younger brother,
and myself. On reaching the seashore, my
mother made the offering to the sea, and prayed to
be pardoned for what we had done. Before
we went to the sea, some one came to inquire
after the girl Cassi. The police and other people
came to make these inquiries both before and
after we left the house for the seashore.
The police questioned my mother about the girl, and
she replied that Cassi had come to her door,
but had left. The next day the police questioned
Tookaram, and he, too, gave a similar reply.
This was said the same night when the search was
made for the girl. After the offering was
made to the sea, we partook of the cocoanut and
returned home, when my mother gave me some food; but
Tookaram did not partake of any food that night.
After dinner I and my mother slept inside the
room, and Tookaram slept on a cot near his brother-in-law,
Yessoo Mahadhoo, just outside the door. That