Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant
Madan Mohan Malaviya took up the defence of the men whom the Gorakhpur Sessions Court sentenced to death over the Chauri Chaura violence, and argued their case for four days. UPSC's option pairs him with Krishna Kant.
- ✗ (a) That account of the Chauri Chaura defence does not mention C. R. Das; it credits Malaviya.
- ✓ (b) PIB, describing the Collected Works of Malaviya, records his return to the Allahabad High Court to secure justice for the accused in the Chauri-Chaura incident. Banaras Hindu University's account adds that he decided to appear for those sentenced to death and argued the case for four days.
- ✗ (c) Kitchlew and Nizami are not named in that account of the defence.
- ✗ (d) M. A. Jinnah is not named in that account of the defence.
Remember · Chauri Chaura (1922): after 170 death sentences at Gorakhpur, Madan Mohan Malaviya appeared for the accused and argued the case for four days.
Sources
- PIB: Vice President releases final series of 'The Collected Works of Madan Mohan Malaviya' ↗ “his notable return to the court to secure justice for the accused in the Chauri-Chaura incident”
- Banaras Hindu University, Malaviya Moolya Anusheelan Kendra: Mahamana as a Lawyer (Chauri Chaura Case) ↗ · reference work “The Sessions Court at Gorakhpur tried 225 persons for arson, looting and causing death, and returned a verdict sentencing 170 persons to death. … Malaviyaji's deep- rooted passion for justice came to the fore and he decided to appear on behalf of the innocent persons sentenced to death. He argued the case for four days.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·