Continued Measures against Thugs

Abstract

In November 1812, Perry submitted the depositions of two Sindouse thugs to the Judicial Department, stressing that he would not commit them for trial unless they were considered amenable to the law.¹ In light of Perry’s former conduct this seems almost sarcastic and considering that the depositions had been taken in July 1812, it cannot be coincidental that he submitted them right after the attack on Halhed, when concern for thuggee was at its highest. But the two suspects had only admitted to having committed crimes in the Maratha territories and the Government doubted that they would be convicted if brought to trial.² Attempts were made to find a native authority to convict them, but in the end the resident at Sagar was ordered to escort them ‘beyond the limits of the British territories and there release them’.³ Thus in spite of the murder of Maunsell and the huge amount of information available concerning the thugs in Sindouse, little had changed and no new measures were introduced to secure the conviction of suspected thugs.