Nuncomar

Nuncomar or Nanda Kumar (d. 1775), Indian official, best known for his connexion with Warren Hastings, was appointed collector of Burdwan in 1764 in place of Hastings, which resulted in a long-standing enmity.

In 1775, when Hastings was governor-general, Nuncomar brought accusations of peculation against him, which were entertained by Francis and the other members of council inimical to Hastings. While the matter was still pending Nuncomar was indicted for forgery, condemned and executed.

Warren Hastings and Sir Elijah Impey, the chief justice, were both impeached, and were accused by Burke and afterwards by Macaulay of committing a judicial murder; but Sir James Stephen, who examined the trial in detail, states that the indictment for forgery arose in the ordinary course, was not brought forward by Hastings, and that Impey conducted the trial with fairness and impartiality.

See Sir James Stephen, The Story of Nuncomar (2 vols., 1885); and, for another treatment of the case, H Beveridge, The Trial of Nanda Kumar (Calcutta, 1886).

Reference

• This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.