1872: Sher Ali Afridi also called Shere Ali. He assassinated Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India on 8 February 1872. He was a prisoner at Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the time.
Sher Ali worked for the British administration in the Punjab Mounted Police during the 1860s. He came from the Tirah valley in Khyber Agency (now a Federally Administered Tribal Area) and worked for the Commissioner of Peshawar.
Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India from 1869, was visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in February 1872. On 8 February, when the Viceroy had almost completed his inspection and was returning at 7:00 PM to his boat, where Lady Mayo was also waiting, Sher Ali Afridi appeared from the dark and stabbed him. Sher Ali was immediately arrested by 12 security personnel. Lord Mayo soon bled to death.
Sher Ali Afridi was condemned to death and was hanged on the gallows of Viper Island prison, on 11 March 1873.
Photo Courtesy: Nadeem Omar Tarar
He was hanged and then burnt to ashes so that no tomb or grave is erected. Also a message was delivered to his Deobandi captive fellow mentors or Deobandi Ulema (In same prison ) who encouraged him to kill Lord May, that no proper Muslim Burial will be offered to offenders. He was from village Qadam in present day Jamrud Khyber Agency and from kukikhek clan inhabiting around famous Baab e Khyber gate or Darwazaa