Scene 4

(Sessions Court of Mr. Beachcroft. Prior to the identification parade Sudhir Sarkar, an accused, whispers to IVolini Kanta Gupta that in the parade he will be posing as one afraid of being identified, while Nolini, the real accused, in connection with the Jeshidih bomb affairs should keep standing quite unconcerned. The accused are brought out into the open and made to stand in a line in front of the prosecution Counsel Mr. Eardley Norton. Prosecution witnesses are brought in one by one. Enter the 1st witness)

NORTON: (Asking the first witness) Have you seen any of them?

1st WITNESS: Yes, I have.

NORTON: (Cheerfully) Point them out.

(The witness slowly passes along the line, points out one or two and then withdraws. Enter the 2nd witness.)

NORTON: (To the 2nd witness, the signal cabinman of Jeshidih Railway Function who is expected to identify the persons involved in the local event) Look at these men. Point out those you saw over the crossing on their way to Dighiriya Hill.

(The witness passes by the accused including Nolini. And befooled by his cleverly studied movements, the witness fixes upon Sudhir as the culprit amidst a roar of laughter by the visitors and the accused. Enter the 3rd witness.)

NORTON: (To the 3rd witness) Whom among these have you seen?

WITNESS: I know nothing, I know none of them. Neither do I know why the police have brought me here. (Side-splitting laughter from the accused and the visitors.)