The Chapekar brothers belonged to Maharashtra, and under the influence of Tilak engaged themselves in revolutionary activities. They organised a society, known as the ‘Society for the Removal of Obstacles to the Hindu Religion’, for imparting military training to Indian youth for overthrowing the British.
On June 22, 1897 Damodar and Balkrishna attacked and killed Mr Rand , the British Plague Commissioner of Poona against whom there was great resentment. Mr Rand had adopted policies to forcibly evacuate people from Poona during the plague epidemic in 1897.
Both brothers were arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Damodar was hanged to death on April 18, 1898 and Balkrishna on May 12, 1899. The third Chapekar brother, Vasudeva, killed Ganesh Shankar Dravid, the man who helped in getting Damodar and Balkrishna arrested. He too was arrested, tried and sentenced to death. He was hanged on May 8, 1899.