A Mauser C-96 semi-automatic pistol. This model of the gun was among those looted in the Rodda Arms Heist
Referred to as the “greatest daylight robbery” of the city, the Rodda Arms Heist took place in Kolkata on 26th August 1914. Records suggest the looted pistols were linked to major events, including the Ghadar movement and the Kakori conspiracy.
In the wake of the First World War, the revolutionary spirit in Bengal reached new heights, as the revolutionaries sensed weakness in the British Government. However, the lack of arms remained a hindrance to their goals. To resolve this, the Yugantar Group, under the leadership of Anukul Mukherjee decided to steal weapons from Rodda & Co., a major arms showroom in Kolkata. The heist was conducted using an agent – Srish Mitra – inside the Rodda Company. Over 50 Mauser pistols and 46,000 cartridges were silently whisked away by the revolutionaries. The plan was so skilfully executed that it took three days for the authorities to understand what had happened.
Sidney Rowlatt’s statement: “few, if any, revolutionary outrages have taken place in Bengal since August 1914, in which Mauser pistols were stolen from Rodda & Co. have not been used”, tells us of the great significance of this event. To commemorate the bravery of these freedom fighters, statues of the four masterminds of the heist were erected at Ganesh Chandra Avenue in Central Kolkata.
Source: Indian Culture Portal