affair affair known scandal affair refers public scandal 19th century british resulted illicit love affair wife government employee head priest temple subsequently wife love affair highly publicised trial followed dubbed murder case husband found guilty varying degrees society considered actions criminal action killing wife resulting public outrage forced authorities release years scandal subject paintings popular plays portrayed devoted husband generally presented took advantage young women murder victim blamed root cause affair plays guilt portrayed tricked raped summary sixteen year old housewife government employee lived village parents away work military press calcutta approached powerful popular prosperous temple seeking fertility medication allegedly raped affair began parents returned village learned affair village gossip publicly following discovery affair confronted confessed forgiveness forgive decided run away allow couple escape blocked way overcome anger jealousy wife throat fish knife remorse surrendered local police station confessed crime murder case queen stood south west indian jury acquitted accepting plea insanity british judge field overruled jury decision matter judge field accepted relationship seen flirting judge presided case high_court accepted evidence proving adultery high_court convicted sentenced life imprisonment got years rigorous imprisonment fine public reaction newspaper remarked people flock flock watch performed courtroom drama public spectacle authorities charge entrance fee control crowds right admission restricted english citing british lawyer judge spoke english indian jury decision judge heavily debated according author representing calcutta nationalism court proceedings seen interference british local matters court represented conflict village city priest gentleman class colonial state nationalist subjects court proceedings disturbed times crowds demanding english lawyer attacked outside court punishment termed public released following public petitions pardon pleas came members calcutta elite district town local acknowledged leaders native society lower middle class signature mercy plea received incident incident executed murder mistress lover according author hindu wife hindu nation scandal hardly created public outrage faded quickly public memory affair embedded public memory created huge sensation contemporary organised reigning sexual financial misconduct affair alluded times regional daily reported affair discussed common people know current affairs months murder newspapers followed court trial day day basis reporting capturing responses parties involved judges jury lawyers common man characters scandal debated british justice hindu norms analysed especially british owned newspapers missionaries interpreted public outcry british owned newspapers question asserting control hindu temples organisations era hindu reform movements scandal led orthodox society examine relationship hindu norms leaders women products specially manufactured commemorate event fish knives leaf boxes memorabilia printed inscribed advertised oil jail oil press commemorative items sale late items unique sense commemorative items modelled event arts published popular press events affair rape murder trial reprinted times largest number 19th century created response contemporary event plays era inspired real courtroom drama plays based scandal popular big money makers especially huge hit stage plays written late referred affair common public knowledge numerous paintings prints created decade scandal depicted immoral affair murder resultant trial according author representing calcutta nationalism colonial popularity plays combined rhetoric sin morality inspired painters present tragedy spectacle painters chose paint mythological themes day day life paintings affair unique exception painted series paintings depict scenes related affair riding elephant meeting goes temple sister meets offering leaf fans offering medicine order drug embracing asking forgiveness stages murder fish knife murder body paintings depict courtroom scene trial followed jail enduring rigorous labour turning oil press working jail jail guards superintendent watch plays paintings suggested theme loss traditional indian culture face assessment portrayal characters accounts agree loved wife evidenced fact ready accept wife run away knowledge affair era wife highly valued blind love acceptance guilty wife deemed inappropriate large section society murder considered songs trying save wife life police reports confirming love read murder rushed police saying hang quick world wilderness join wife world life line reported newspapers plays songs public petitions argued given choice leave arms live life worse death kill like true husband chose end misery plays portray mistress town leaves wife village plays named suggest main crime murder immoral activities portrayed root cause death inevitable conclusion activities object desire killed restore honour titles plays reinforce theme focus crime examples include paintings depict temple haven described shrine famed cure barren women rumoured seduce women like came medicine appropriate help raped women return family plays described offering fake medicine play rare exception general theme plays love portrayed genuine resultant effect later newspaper presents rare view true victim forgotten debate trial sympathy meeting painting depicted indicating described developed affair lived time despite fact play character debated village wives prostitutes wives woman question devotion express belief woman raped consent prostitutes victim male lust lament fall grace illustrates status wife plays depict having choice surrender lust father command plays concentrate scenes gives father orders depiction rape depicts divine trial parents portrayed equally guilty condemned holy shrine punished authority money temple newspaper describes father worse worse daughter virtue plays father sexually incompetent driven greed young resorts pleasing wife giving gifts like jewellery sells daughter staying parents home husband blamed excessive control
Tarakeswar affair