Surendranath Banerjee was one of the most prominent Indian nationalist leaders during the pre-Independence period. He was born in the Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) district of the state of West Bengal. In the year 1883, following a leaderette published in Bengalee against Justice Norris, he was served a writ and was eventually convicted for two months. The article highlighted Justice Norris’s act of allegedly hurting religious sentiments following his act of bringing a saligram (an idol) to the Court for identification.
The imprisonment of Surendranath Banerjee was condemned by people across the Subcontinent. The Statesman especially published a series of articles in his support and against the verdict. The editor of The Statesman, Robert Knight was hailed as a champion who fought for justice and was thoroughly supported by the populace of India. Apart from supporting his cause in print, Knight also displayed his support for Banerjee in person. During the two months when Banerjee was convicted as a civil prisoner, his wife came to visit him once. She was escorted by Robert Knight.
Thus, The Statesman showed its support both on paper and in person for the cause of Surendranath Banerjee and against his imprisonment.
Source: Indian Culture Portal