On 22 June in 1897, British offcer Walter Rand was assassinated in Poona. 22 June 1897 is based on the events leading up to — and the consequences of — this murder. Rand had been appointed to take charge of plague control measures in Poona. He had succeeded in containing the epidemic, but his methods of evacuation and fumigation had evoked rage among certain sections of society. Damodar and Balkrishna Chapekar, the two elder sons of a Brahmin preacher-singer, had formed a club of idealistic young men who indulged in acts of terrorism in the name of religion and nationalism. Their idealism, inspired by Tilak's militant views, resulted in an intense hatred for British rule, and they conspired to kill Rand. The murderers escaped, but Inspector Brewin of the CID, with the help of the Dravid brothers, traced Damodar and extracted a confession. Tilak appealed against the death sentence, but the verdict was confirmed by the High Court and Damodar was executed. Balkrishna Chapekar was later arrested in Hyderabad but he too, claimed innocence. When the youngest brother, Vasudev, killed the informer who helped Brewin, he and Balkrishna were also sentenced to hang. The Chapekar brothers and their friend Ranade created one of the most eventful periods in the history of Poona. Their executions enthused the spirit of freedom into a whole generation of Indians.