Chandra Shekhar Azad (July 23, 1906 – February 27, 1931), born Chandrashekhar Tiwari, was an Indian revolutionary who assassinated British officer, John Saunders, on 17 December 1928 in Allahabad. He was a founder of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association and is considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement.Azad was killed in an encounter with the police at Allahabad on 27 February 1931. Born into a middle-class Brahmin family in the village of Madhavpur, in the Pratapgarh district of the United Provinces of British India, Chandrashekhar Tiwari became known as Chandra Shekhar Azad from the age of 14, after he renounced his family name and pledged his allegiance to independence. He was drawn to radical politics early on, and joined the nationalist youth organisation, the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), at the age of 16. He soon emerged as one of the key leaders of the organisation, and was instrumental in organising several of its high-profile attacks against the British Raj. On 17 December 1928, Azad shot and killed British officer, John Saunders, in Allahabad. Saunders had been overseeing police operations against the HRA, and was seen as a symbol of British colonial oppression. After the assassination, Azad went into hiding, and was on the run for over a year, evading a massive manhunt by the British authorities. In February 1931, he was finally cornered by the police in Allahabad. In the ensuing shootout, Azad was killed, but he succeeded in killing several policemen before his death. Azad's martyrdom enhanced his status as a legendary figure in the Indian independence movement. He has been hailed as a "freedom fighter" and "patriot" by many, and continues to be a revered figure in modern-day India.