2 There was one kind of criminal offence not known to our modern code, which seems to have been severely punished under the Peishwas. It refers to the charge of casting evil spirits, and offences under this head seem to have been an important feature of criminal administration, especially in the Konkan. In fact, under the last two Peish was, regular officers with establishments were employed for the discovery and punishments of witches and wizards who were accused of troubling their neighbours by the agency of evil spirits. It formed a part of the Police duty of the District officers to exterminate the evi spirits. For perjury and forgery, the usual punishment was fine, and imprisonment where fine could not be levied by reason of poverty. Cow-killing was punished severely. False coinage, and offences regarding weights and measures were punished with fines and imprisonment. Abduction and seduction, theft and cheating were punished with fines. This brief conspectus of the way, in which criminal justice was administered, will show that, except under Nana Fadinavis, the administration of the law was never vindictive or cruel, but was sympathetic and mild to a degree unknown before or since. The punishments were adequate to the offence and not too severe. Nana Fadnavis' administration was exceptional for the reasons stated above, and he appears to have been equally severe in the way in which he treated his political enemies. Sakharampant Bapu, who was at one time a pillar of the State, was imPrisoned in the forts for the part he took in siding with Raghoba Dada, and the same fate over-took Raghoba's other friends, chiefly Parbhus, Raghunath Hari, Baburao Hari, and others. Nana Fadnavis' own Ոeaր relative Moro Baburao was similarl y sent to prison, and in Casting evil spirits. Perjury. Cow-killing. Other, offences. State prisoners. B;ւjirao II's time, Nana Fadinavis had himself to share the same fate. The strife of the parties seems to have been much m re bitter in those days than was the case under the first three Peishwas. State prisoners were treated with leniency in those days. This generosity wus not shown to the friends and followers of Raghoba Dada, or the Pretender's followers, who were mostly Brahmins holding high offices, As regards the Police, the Kamavisdar, with his Shibandi force of Police. horse and foot, constituted the regular Police de fence of the country. In ill as and Kulkarni y the villages, the Pati Rarni, and the Jaglias or watchmen, consisting of Mahars and "gs, secured their internal quiet, and in the large villages or towns .
