Madar (also given as Madan) Lal Dhingra was a 25 year old Indian revolutionary who assassinated Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a senior official in the British Indian Government. India was a British colony at this time and there were the beginnings of a struggle for independence.
The crime took place on Thursday the 1st of July 1909 at the Imperial Institute of London University in South Kensington in London.
Both Sir William and Dhingra had attended a concert there that evening and Dhingra was talking to Sir William in the foyer afterwards, and then fired five shots into him, killing him instantly. Dr. Cawas Lalcaca tried to aid Sir William and was shot twice by Dhingra.
He died later from his wounds. Dhingra now attempted suicide, putting the gun to his head and pulling the trigger, but he had not saved a bullet for himself.
He was overpowered by others and held until the police arrived.
The police investigation showed that Dhingra had been a respectable engineering student, studying at University College in London, who had come to England in November 1906. In January 1909 he had legally purchased two revolvers.
Dhingra was tried at the Old Bailey on the 23rd of July 1909, before the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Alverstone. He refused to recognise the validity of the court, claiming that he had justly killed an enemy of India (Sir William) and that the shooting of Dr. Lalcaca was an unfortunate accident. The jury did not need to retire to reach a verdict.
Lord Alverstone pronounced sentence of death and Dhingra thanked him and told the court he was proud to lay down his life for his country.
This he did at Pentonville prison at 8.00 a.m. on Tuesday the 17th of August 1909. Henry and Thomas Pierrepoint carried out the execution in the purpose built shed adjoining B Wing. Dhingra weighed 118 lbs. so his drop was set at 8’ 3”.
The words below are claimed to be Dhingra's final statement:
"I believe that a nation held down by foreign bayonets is in a perpetual state of war. Since open battle is rendered impossible to a disarmed race, I attacked by surprise. Since guns were denied to me, I drew forth my pistol and fired. Poor in wealth and intellect, a son like myself has nothing else to offer to the mother but his own blood. And so I have sacrificed the same on her altar.
The only lesson required in India at present is to learn how to die, and the only way to teach it is by dying ourselves. My only prayer to God is that I may be re-born of the same mother and I may re-die in the same sacred cause till the cause is successful. Vande Mataram!" which translates as "I praise thee mother!"
Dhingra was buried within the precincts of Pentonville prison, but his body was exhumed and repatriated to India on the 13th of December 1976.


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