Coll 28/8 ‘Persia; Diaries; Sistan & Kain, April 1927 – 1933’ [‎17r] (44/434)

* O-QPy to India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. and Kabul.
CONFIDENTIAL. ,
i
P.Z.
;458
i933
Mi
,l 'i M
His Britannic Majesty’s Consulate, Sistan and Kain, Diary^ortbe-ronth *nf
November 1932.
1. Consular Officers. —Captain L. A. G.
Pinhey has proceeded to India on one
month’s leave and Captain J. Beausang
from Zabul is temporarily officiating at
Zahidan
His Britannic Majesty’s Consul re
turned to Meshad from Birjand on the
15th November.
2. .Sarhad and Persian Baluchistan .—
It appears that towards the end of
October about 200 rifles and some
ammunition were brought in a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. to
Chahbar by Baluchis, and were seized
by the Persian Officer Commanding.
Two rumours are current in this
respect:—
(1) That the arms were purchased
in Bombay; and
(2) That they were transferred at
sea from a foreign vessel.
Troops from Kerman are said to have
advanced to Bemishk together with 200
Camelry from the Baluchistan Brigade,
but up till the end of November no
fighting had taken place.
Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Abdul Hussain attacked a
caravan early in tne month and looted
400 sheep, killing the military escort of
four men who accompanied the cara
van. The Yarmuhommadzais who had
migrated to British Mashkel have now
returned to their homes with the excep
tion of Jiand Khan and Lashkar Khan
I (Gumshadzai). There is evidence of ill-
feeling between the G. O. 0. and Mirza
Hassan Khan Badee, who was recently
appointed Civil Governor.
The mother of the late Dost Mohamed
Khan has left Shastu and has joined
her husband Ali Mohamad in Panjgur.
3. Sultan Khan Bar Khan, Canton
ment Magistrate at Zahidan, has been
transferred to Khwash. It is believed
that the transfer is the result of repre
sentations made by His Majesty’s
Legation in regard to his high-handed
treatment of a British Indian motor
driver.
Two guns which had been sent to
Tehran for repair were recently returned
to Khwash.
Naib Mansur Khan arrived at Zahidan
from Tehran about the 20th November
and proceeded to Khwash in charge of
a portable wireless set. This officer has
acveryiRbad reputation for ill-treating
' FOREIGN SECRETARY'S }
! - ' -) F 1 ] M. j
British subjects and was severely ad
monished by the G. O. C. in 1930, as a
result of complaints made by His
Majesty’s Consul. He owes a sum of
money to the Army and Navy Stores,
Bombay, for goods purchased, which
we have long been endeavouring to
recover.
On November 1st a fire occurred
in the magazine at Khwash, all the
ammunition exploded and four soldiers
were burnt. The cause of the fire has
not been discovered.
Sarhang Nasrullah Khan and Staff
arrived from Tehran on 11th November
at Khwash to inspect the Brigade
accounts. This party will again check
the accounts of two Indian traders
Sujjan Singh and Mehr Singh, who
are owed Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. 30,900 and Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
1,000 respectively by the Military
authorities.
4. Smuggling at Zahidan. —Kashawar,
a Customs Official, and a Clerk of a
Persian firm at Zahidan who had been
charged with smuggling and released on
bail, have been arrested. Several of
the smuggling cases investigated by the
Special Public Prosecutor sent from
Tehran in the summer, and which were
referred to Tehran Courts have been
again referred to the Peace Court at
Zahidan for disposal.
Several British Indians who had
previously confessed to falsification of
accounts and bribery of Customs
Officials now intend to alter their state
ments on the ground that they were
made under threats by the Public
Prosecutor.
Akali Narain Singh, British Indian \
subject, who was early in 1932, sus- /
pec ted of smuggling 10,000 Krans in
silver out of Persia, and the motor
driver Bawa Nanak Singh in whose
lorry the coin was detected, have both
been arrested and sent to Tehran for
trial.
Abdul Aziz Khan, the Customs Direc
tor at Zahidan at the time, and Chet
Singh, an Indian merchant, who is
alleged to have bribed him on Narain
Singh’s behalf have also been arrested.
About November 20th one Assa
Singh, British Indian, left Zahidan for
India in a lorry driven by Munawar
Singh. He had in his possession 930
Krans. He evaded the Customs Barrier
#