Escapes Lahore disguised with Durgawati Devi

In mid-December 1928, the city of Lahore was under an intense British police dragnet following the assassination of Assistant Superintendent of Police John P. Saunders on December 17. The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) had targeted British officer James A. Scott to avenge the death of nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a police baton charge. However, in a case of mistaken identity, Bhagat Singh and Shivaram Rajguru shot Saunders instead outside the police headquarters, escaping into the narrow alleys of Lahore.

Recognizing that British intelligence was searching every train station, highway, and neighborhood for a bearded, turbaned Sikh youth and his companions, the HSRA devised a bold escape strategy. Bhagat Singh made the profound personal sacrifice of cutting his long hair and shaving his beard, defying his Khalsa Sikh tradition to disguise his identity. Dressed in a sharply tailored Western suit, overcoat, and felt hat, Bhagat Singh assumed the persona of a wealthy government official. Durgawati Devi, known affectionately in revolutionary circles as Durga Bhabhi and the wife of HSRA theorist Bhagwati Charan Vohra, courageously agreed to pose as his wife. Shivaram Rajguru disguised himself as their domestic servant, carrying luggage and Durga Bhabhi's three-year-old son, Sachindra.

On the morning of December 20, 1928, the trio walked directly past dozens of armed policemen guarding Lahore Railway Station. Acting with total composure, Bhagat Singh bought first-class ticket passes to Kanpur. Meanwhile, Chandrashekhar Azad escaped Lahore separately by disguising himself as a devout Hindu ascetic (Sadhu) escorting a group of pilgrims, including Bhagat Singh's mother.

The successful escape to Kanpur and subsequently Calcutta allowed Bhagat Singh to establish contact with Bengali revolutionaries, including Jatin Das, and acquire expertise in bomb-making. This audacious operation underscored the sophistication, flexibility, and courage of the HSRA network, demonstrating the indispensable role played by women revolutionaries like Durga Bhabhi in the Indian freedom struggle.