Benoy Basu

Benoy Krishna Basu (Bengali: বিনয় কৃষ্ণ বসু Binôe Boshu), Benoy Basu, or Benoy Bose (11 September 1908 – 13 December 1930) , popularly known as Benoy Basu or Benoy Bose, was a prominent Indian revolutionary who played a key role in the armed struggle against British colonial rule. Born in Bikrampur, Munshiganj District (now in Bangladesh), he was the son of engineer Rebatimohan Basu. Benoy became actively involved in the Indian freedom movement as a member of the Bengal Volunteers.

On 8 December 1930, along with Badal Gupta and Dinesh Gupta, Benoy carried out a daring armed attack on the Writers' Building in Dalhousie Square, Calcutta, the administrative nerve centre of British Bengal. Disguised in European attire, the trio entered the building and assassinated Colonel N.S. Simpson, the Inspector General of Prisons, notorious for torturing political prisoners. A gun battle ensued with British officers, resulting in multiple injuries. Refusing to be captured, Badal consumed cyanide, while Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves with their revolvers. Benoy succumbed to his injuries soon after; Dinesh was captured alive and later hanged.

Their martyrdom became a symbol of youthful courage and resistance, and the trio are commemorated as national heroes. The B. B. D. Bagh area in Kolkata is named in their honour.^[1][2]

Benoy Krishna Basu, the second son of Rebati Mohan Basu and Nandarani Devi, was born on 11 September 1908. His ancestral home was in Rautbhog village, Bikrampur, Dhaka.^[3] Towards the end of 1928, when the Bengal Volunteers organization was formed, he held the rank of Major in the group.^[4] He was a fourth-year student at Mitford Hospital, Dhaka.His father was an engineer who was later transferred to Jamshedpur and moved there with the whole family, leaving their ancestral home in Bikrampur.^[5] His eldest brother's name was Bijoykrishna and his youngest brother's name was Potla Basu.^[6]

Benoy Basu and his comrades joined Subhas Chandra Bose’s Bengal Volunteers in 1928. Within a short time, Binoy joined the Dhaka branch of the organization. Soon, the group took a stand against police atrocities on political prisoners. In 1930, the revolutionaries decided to assassinate the Inspector General of Police, Lowman. It was known that Lowman was to visit Mr. Burt, the Superintendent of the Narayanganj Water Police at Mitford Hospital, Dhaka present day Sir Salimullah Medical College.^[7]

On 29 August 1930, F. J. Lowman, the senior officer of the Bengal Police Department, and E. Hodson, the Superintendent of Police in Dhaka, were shot at. The previous night, 28 August, Mr. Burt, had fainted at the Government House in Dhaka and was taken to Mitford Hospital. The next morning, on Friday, 29 August, Lowman, accompanied by Hodson, visited Burt at the hospital. While they were heading to the Superintendent’s office after the visit, an assailant opened fire from about 30-35 feet away, first targeting Hodson and then Lowman. Hodson was shot in the back, while the bullet pierced through Lowman’s spine.

A constable named Satyendra Sen was present at the scene, along with some masons who were working nearby. The assailant fired the shots and fled. The masons were asked to chase him, but they responded, "We’re busy working; who’s going to catch him? We can’t do it."

Satyendra pursued the assailant for some distance but failed to catch him. While escaping, the attacker dropped his revolver.^[8]

Everyone believed the assailant was none other than Benoy Bose, a fourth-year student at the Medical College. On 1 September, Lowman succumbed to his injuries.^[9]

Following the incident, Dhaka city saw widespread searches, arrests, and assaults. Within two days, over fifty people were admitted to Mitford Hospital with injuries. Many innocent individuals were arrested and beaten, but Benoy Bose could not be found.^[10]

On 3 September, a reward was announced for information leading to Binoy Basu’s capture. His description was provided:

"age 22 years, fair complexion, strong, short stature, pointed nose, hair black, normal eyes"^[11]

^[12]

Meanwhile Benoy fled from the scene and took shelter at his comrade in arms Manikrishna Sen's house at Bakshi bazar. The British launched an extensive manhunt for Benoy, but he proved elusive. His escape from Dhaka to Narayanganj and beyond is a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the Bengal Volunteers. Disguised as a rural Muslim, clad in a tattered lungi and dirty vest, Benoy, along with comrade in arms Supati Roy, a veteran revolutionary who helped in procuring arms for the murder of Lowman, navigated through a landscape fraught with danger. The relentless rain and flooded streets added to the challenges, yet they pressed on, determined to evade capture.^[13]

At Dolai Ganj station, the next stop after Dhaka, the duo faced rigorous police checks. Every train compartment, including toilets and goods wagons, was searched, but Benoy and Supati, blending seamlessly with the crowd, boarded the Narayanganj-bound train undetected. Their unassuming appearance—huddled in a corner with vacant expressions—helped them avoid suspicion. Meanwhile, a group of boisterous Dhaka University students distracted attention, allowing Benoy and Supati to remain inconspicuous.^[14]

At Chashara railway station, intelligence reached the revolutionaries that the train would face another thorough search in Narayanganj. To avoid this, they disembarked and decided to travel on foot. The Narayanganj group took over, while Binoy’s Dhaka comrades, including Bangeshswar Ray, Binoy Kumar Bose (Junior), and Bakul Dasgupta, returned to Dhaka, their mission was complete.^[15][16]

From Narayanganj, Benoy and Supati Roy, reached Bandar, a place misleadingly named as it was not a port. Crossing the turbulent Meghna River in a storm was their next challenge. Disguised as a zamindar and his servant, they boarded a real boatman’s vessel. The Meghna, whipped into a frenzy by the storm, battered their frail boat. Fearing for their lives, the boatman refused to continue, forcing them to seek an alternative route via a steamer from a nearby flag station.

The flag station offered a reprieve, with no police presence. Binoy, reverting to his rural Muslim disguise, boarded a steamer to Bhairab, then a train. At Kishoreganj, they faced another hurdle: a platform swarming with police. Quick thinking saved them. Approaching a railway ticket inspector, they pleaded ignorance, claiming they forgot to buy tickets. The inspector, amused by their apparent simplicity, issued tickets to Kolkata, allowing them to bypass the police unnoticed.

In Munshiganj, a sub-inspector and his constables stormed their compartment. Supati Roy, now posing as a humble villager, spun a tale of a sick cousin with smallpox, prompting the sub-inspector to retreat in fear of contagion. This quick-witted deception allowed them to continue their journey to Jagannath Ghat and then to Sirajganj steamer, despite days without food and the constant threat of capture.

Again moving from Kolkata, Benoy took refuge at Katras Colliery in the spacious quarters of Anathbandhu Das, a loyal comrade. The secrecy maintained here allowed Benoy to reflect on his mission. Having eliminated Lowman, he questioned whether his role in the freedom struggle was complete. Haridas Dutta, a seasoned revolutionary, knew otherwise and brought Benoy back to Kolkata after a few days.

In Kolkata, Benoy first found shelter in Beliaghata, a safe haven arranged by the Bengal Volunteers. Later, he moved to the home of Rajendra Guha, a devoted B.V. member in Metiaburz. Rajenbabu was overjoyed to host Benoy, considering it a stroke of fortune. Benoy, too, found solace in Rajenbabu’s unparalleled hospitality. Rajenbabu’s children captured Benoy’s heart, and his wife, Boudi, treated him with maternal affection, providing a rare moment of warmth amid his perilous life.

Meanwhile, the Bengal Volunteers maintained secret bases at 7 Walliullah Lane and a two-story house on Park Street, Kolkata. The ground floor housed the chambers of Dr. Animesh Ray and Dr. Himangshu Banerjee, while the upper floor sheltered top revolutionaries, including action squad members Nikunja Sen and Supati Ray. Dinesh Gupta and Badal Gupta were kept there as a precaution, ready for the next mission.^[17]

Binoy’s evasion was not merely about survival; it was a prelude to a bolder mission. The Bengal Volunteers, incensed by the atrocities committed by Colonel N.S. Simpson, the Inspector General of Prisons, planned a direct assault on the heart of British administration—the Writers' Building in Kolkata (now Mahakaran in B.B.D. Bagh). Simpson was infamous for his brutal treatment of political prisoners, including Subhas Chandra Bose, whose torture in Alipore jail fuelled the revolutionaries’ resolve.^[18]

The plan was audacious: assassinate Simpson and strike terror into the British government by attacking their administrative stronghold. Benoy, Dinesh Gupta, and Badal Gupta were chosen to lead the mission, supported by the Bengal Volunteers’ Action squad under leaders like Haridas Dutta, Prafulla Dutta, and Rasamoy Sur. Prafulla, an engineer, provided a detailed map of the Writers’ Building, pinpointing Simpson’s office.^[19]

On 8 December 1930, around 12:30 PM, three Bengali youths dressed in European attire entered the Writers’ Building. They wore hats, and their fair complexions led others to mistake them for Europeans or at least Anglo-Indians, so no one questioned or stopped them. Only a sergeant named Ford, waiting on the second-floor veranda for a medical board examination, noticed them.^[20]

Colonel Simpson, the head of Bengal’s jails, was seated at his desk, working, while his personal assistant was taking down orders from him. The youths entered Simpson’s room and shot him. The pen remained in his hand, the order incomplete, and the Colonel collapsed onto the table. They then stepped onto the veranda and began firing in all directions. The Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department threw something at them, but it missed. The youths shot him, and he fell.^[21]

They then approached the room of Home Secretary Albion Mayer, shouting, "Is the Sahib at the table?" Their gunfire shattered the glass of the door. The Inspector General of Police, Craig, emerged with a gun and fired, but his shots missed. Ford took Craig’s revolver and fired as well, but those shots also missed. Assistant Inspector General Jones arrived and fired 34 rounds, but to no avail.^[22][23]

The youths then entered the passport office, where they reloaded their revolvers. The clerk there, in fear, locked himself in an inner room. A missionary official was sitting and working there. Out of fear, he climbed down a rainwater pipe to escape. The Judicial Secretary, Mr. Nelson, peeked out of his door, and the youths advanced toward him and shot him. A bullet hit his knee, and several shots were fired into his room. Bleeding and groaning in pain, Nelson staggered out and took refuge in Mr. Prentice’s room. Jones and Nelson’s bodyguard police fired at the youths, who returned fire. The head of the Education Department, Mr. Stapleton, immediately called the Lalbazar police station from the third floor. As a result, Mr. Tegart, Shardon, Butt, and others quickly arrived at the scene.^[24]

Crawling on the floor, Ford observed from below that two individuals were lying in the room, while one was seated on a chair. On the table were two revolvers and some cartridges. The person seated had taken potassium cyanide, his head resting against the chair. Within a short time, he died. This youth was Sudhir Gupta alias Badal Gupta, son of Abani Mohan Gupta, from Bidgaon. The second individual was Dinesh Gupta, son of Satish Chandra Gupta, from Jashlong. ^[25]

The third individual was Benoy Basu, son of Rebati Mohan Basu, who resided in Jamshedpur, with his ancestral home in Rautbhog. All three were from Bikrampur, Dhaka.^[26]

Dinesh had a bullet wound on the left side of his neck, suggesting an attempt at suicide. A six-chambered Webley Revolver lay beside him. Benoy had bullet wounds on both sides of his forehead.

When a police officer arrived and questioned them, only Binoy responded, saying,

"My name is Benoy Basu, his (pointing to Sudhir) name is Supati Ray, and the one beside me is Biren Ghosh (Dinesh Gupta)."

In Binoy’s pocket was a large Iver Johnson revolver with several fresh bullets. In Badal’s pocket was a small tricolor national flag and an .32 American Revolver. Badal’s body was immediately sent to police custody, with orders to promptly ascertain his identity.^[27]

Binoy and Dinesh were sent to the Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata under strict guard. They were to be nursed back to health, only to face trial and receive the harshest punishment. They were to be hanged.^[28]

The Anandabazar Patrika, wrote the following on 9 December 1930:^[29]

"Yesterday at around 12 noon, a daring and horrific murder took place at the heart of Kolkata, in the Writers’ Building. Three Bengali youths entered the office of the Inspector General of Bengal’s Jail Department, Lieutenant Colonel Simpson, between 12:15 and 12:30 PM. Colonel Simpson was then seated in his office, conversing with his personal assistant. When the youths expressed their desire to meet him, the peon asked them to wait for a moment and to write down the purpose of their visit on a piece of paper, as per protocol. However, the youths refused to comply, pushed the peon aside, forced open the door, and entered the room. They immediately fired 5-6 shots at Colonel Simpson, who succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

The youths then rushed out, firing at the office’s glass windows and ceiling. Bullet marks were found on the window of Revenue Secretary Mr. Mayer’s office and in the office of Mr. J.W. Nelson.

They then entered the passport office and fired at an American, but the shot missed. No peon was hit by the bullets.

Subsequently, the assailants entered Mr. Nelson’s room and shot him in the thigh. His injury was not severe. According to the latest reports, one of the assailants committed suicide. The other two are in critical condition in the hospital. One of them has been positively identified as Binoy Krishna Basu. In a dying declaration, he stated that he was Binoy Krishna Basu and that he had killed Mr. Lowman. All three assailants were dressed in European attire. While moving through the veranda and firing, they were shouting “Vande Mataram.” "

— Bengal Jail Department’s Inspector General murdered, Anandabazar Patrika, 9 December 1930

^[30]

Again a few days later Anandabazar Patrika, wrote on 12 December 1930 :

"An investigation at the Medical College Hospital yesterday revealed that Binoy Krishna Basu was on the verge of death. He lay unconscious with his eyes closed.

With the permission of the Chief Presidency Magistrate, Binoy’s elderly father, Shri Rebati Mohan Basu, his elderly mother, and his elder brother, Bijoykrishna, visited him in the hospital. They repeatedly called out, “Benoy, Benoy,” and broke down in tears.

Benoy was unable to respond. At one point, he tried to raise his right hand to touch his forehead, perhaps in an attempt to offer a final salute to his parents. The sight was unbearable for his elderly parents, who left the hospital with tearful eyes.

Benoy was the son of Shri Rebati Mohan Basu from Rautbhog village in Munshiganj subdivision, Dhaka district. He was a fourth-year student at Dhaka Medical School and resided in the medical boarding house. Benoy had six brothers. His parents and elder brother lived in Jamshedpur. They had arrived in Kolkata yesterday morning to see Benoy."

— Benoy’s Final Farewell to His Parents on His Deathbed, Anandabazar Patrika, 12 December 1930

^[31]

Gradually, Dinesh recovered, but Benoy died on 13 December at the Medical College Hospital. In his final moments, his mother visited her beloved son. Benoy, with great effort, raised both hands to touch his forehead, offering a final gesture of respect before closing his eyes forever.

The following report as per Anandabazar Patrika, on 15 December 1930 says:

"On Saturday morning at 6:30 AM, Benoy Krishna Basu was found dead at the Medical College Hospital. The exact time of his death during the night could not be determined.^[32]

Once the body was handed over to his father, Shri Rebati Mohan Basu, and other relatives, it was placed on a decorated bier. They then proceeded with the bier toward Nimtala Crematorium. A few police personnel and some people joined the funeral procession. Along the way, cries of “Vande Mataram” were heard intermittently.

It had been announced in the evening newspapers that the body would be cremated at Nimtala Ghat. Despite the severe cold, a large crowd gathered at the ghat.

When the body reached Nimtala Ghat, the assembled crowd chanted “Vande Mataram” and offered numerous floral tributes to Binoy’s body. The body was bathed in the sacred waters of the Ganga, and following traditional rites, it was cremated. The ashes were consigned to the Ganga."

— Anandabazar Patrika, 15 December 1930

The Writers’ Building attack had a profound impact. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru’s remark at the Round Table Conference underscored its disruption of British negotiations. The attack exposed the vulnerability of colonial authority and inspired countless Indians to join the freedom struggle. Benoy Basu, Dinesh Gupta, and Badal Gupta—collectively known as the Benoy-Badal-Dinesh trio—became legends, their sacrifice immortalized in India’s history.

Benoy’s legacy endures. As Anandabazar Patrika noted, "Benoy Basu is a hero of history. He knows no death, no decay." His actions, rooted in a fierce commitment to justice, continue to inspire generations, symbolizing the indomitable spirit of those who dared to challenge an empire, large posters had appeared across the city declaring,

“Benoy's blood beckons for more blood !!!”

^[33]

Meanwhile Dinesh’s trial was held before a tribunal consisting of Messrs. Gallick, Nalinikanta Basu, and Adiluzzaman. The tribunal sentenced Dinesh to death by hanging.^[34] An appeal was made to the High Court before Justices Charu Chandra Ghosh and Mr. Buckland, but it was unsuccessful. A further appeal to the Privy Council also yielded no result.^[35][36]

On 7 July 1931, Dinesh was hanged at Alipore Central Jail. On that day, a hartal (strike) was observed in central Kolkata.^[37]

The revolutionary actions of Benoy Bose, along with Badal Gupta and Dinesh Gupta, left an enduring legacy in India’s struggle for independence. Their daring attack on the Writers' Building on 8 December 1930 became a historic symbol of youthful courage, sacrifice, and uncompromising resistance against colonial oppression.^[38] In memory of their Writers' Building attack, a plate was engraved in the wall of the Writers' Building, on the first floor.^[39]

Their martyrdom continues to inspire generations, particularly in Bengal, where the trio are remembered as national heroes. In their honor, the formerly named Dalhousie Square in Kolkata was renamed B. B. D. Bagh (short for Benoy–Badal–Dinesh Bagh), one of the most prominent civic and administrative zones in the city. A statue of the trio stands in the area, facing the Writers’ Building — a powerful reminder of the attack that once shook British administration and remains etched in India’s collective memory. To the colonial rulers, it was an act of terror; to Indians, it became a tale of unmatched heroism and defiance.

In popular culture, their story has been revisited in films and literature. The 2022 Bengali-language historical drama film 8/12 Binay Badal Dinesh, directed by Arun Roy and produced by Kan Singh Sodha, portrays the historical events surrounding the Writers’ Building attack. Bengali actor Kinjal Nanda played the role of Benoy Bose, capturing the revolutionary’s determination, courage, and deep commitment to India’s freedom struggle.

The legacy of Benoy Bose and his comrades endures not only in monuments and cinema but also in the collective memory of a nation that honours their sacrifice as a cornerstone of its long and arduous journey to independence.

• Hemendranath Dasgupta, Bharater Biplab Kahini, II & III, Calcutta, 1948;
• Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, III, Calcutta 1963;
• Ganganarayan Chandra, Abismaraniya, Calcutta, 1966.