Remembering Maj Durga Mall the first martyr of INA hanged by Britishers in 1944 in Delhi.
Prisoner of War and Trial – After his arrest, Durga Malla was kept in the prison at Red Fort, New Delhi as a prisoner of war. He was prosecuted by military court under section 41 of the Indian Army Law and section 121 of the Indian Penal Code. He was given death sentence by the Court Martial, the court of trial before which he was tried at Red Fort. That was the time when the imperialist British rulers were trying to suppress the Indian freedom struggle by all means. Therefore, before the death sentence was finally executed, the British authorities tried to coax Major Durga Malla into confessing the wrong and promised him grant of remission if he could do so. But it was against the wishes of Veer Durga Malla whose only objective was to get the country free.
He preferred to embrace the gallows rather than accepting the proposal of the British rulers. All persuasions having failed, Durga Malla’s wife Smt. Sharda Devi was brought before him at the prison cell as the last resort. British authorities were of the opinion that she would persuade her husband to apologise. But Major Malla yielded to no devices of the British authorities. On the contrary, he gave his wife his last words by saying.”Sharda, I am sacrificing my life for the freedom of my motherland. You need not be worried and distressed. Crores of Hindustanis will be with you after my death. The Sacrifice I am offering, shall not go in vain. India shall be free. I am confident, this is only a matter of time.”
Supreme Sacrifice – On 15th August 1944, Veer Durga, the great patriot, was taken to Delhi Central Jail from the Red Fort. After ten days, on 25th August 1944, he was sent to the gallows. Thus ended the journey of one more noble son of mother India who laid down his precious life at the altar of Freedom. Durga Malla’s Physical body is no more but he sacrificed himself after leading a meaningful life of only 31 years and became immortal.
https://gorkhatimes.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/veer-shaheed-major-durga-malla/