March 23, 1931
Singh, Rajguru, and Thapar were sentenced to death in the Lahore Conspiracy case. They were supposed to be hung on March 24, 1931, however, the schedule was moved forward by 11 hours and he was hung on March 23, 1931, at 7:30. It is reported that no magistrate of the time was willing to supervise his hanging, which was required by law. Finally, this execution was supervised by an honorary judge, who also signed the three death warrants as their originals warrants had expired. Shortly after the hanging, jail authorities broke the rear wall of the jail and had secretly cremated the three martyrs, and then threw the ashes into the Sutlej river.
Reactions
"Bhagat Singh had become the symbol of the new awakening among the youths. He was a clean fighter who faced his enemy in the open field ... he was like a spark that became a flame in a short time and spread from one end of the country to the other dispelling the prevailing darkness everywhere."
- Subhas Chandra Bose
"His photograph was on sale in every city and township and for a time rivaled in popularity even that of Mr. Gandhi himself"
- Sir Horace William (Director of the Intelligence Bureau)
"While dissociating itself from and disapproving of political violence in any shape or form, this Congress places on record its admiration of the bravery and sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru and mourns with their bereaved families the loss of these lives. The Congress is of the opinion that their triple execution was an act of wanton vengeance and a deliberate flouting of the unanimous demand of the nation for commutation. This Congress is further of the opinion that the [British] Government lost a golden opportunity for promoting good-will between the two nations, admittedly held to be crucial at this juncture, and for winning over to methods of peace a party which, driven to despair, resorts to political violence.
- The Congress Party, during the Karachi Session
- Subhas Chandra Bose
"His photograph was on sale in every city and township and for a time rivaled in popularity even that of Mr. Gandhi himself"
- Sir Horace William (Director of the Intelligence Bureau)
"While dissociating itself from and disapproving of political violence in any shape or form, this Congress places on record its admiration of the bravery and sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru and mourns with their bereaved families the loss of these lives. The Congress is of the opinion that their triple execution was an act of wanton vengeance and a deliberate flouting of the unanimous demand of the nation for commutation. This Congress is further of the opinion that the [British] Government lost a golden opportunity for promoting good-will between the two nations, admittedly held to be crucial at this juncture, and for winning over to methods of peace a party which, driven to despair, resorts to political violence.
- The Congress Party, during the Karachi Session