Affidavit of Nanavati Commission

        I, Mukhtiar Singh S/o S. Swaran Singh, aged about 43 years, R/o B-4, Staff Quarters Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under: -

1.                  That during the year 1984, I was residing at Room No.6 Staff Quarters, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi, being employee of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

2.                  That on 11th November, 1775, when Auranzeb beheaded the 9th Guru, of Sikhs, Shri Guru Teg Bhadur Sahib Ji, to save Hindu religion which was about to eliminate, then one of the devotee brought the body of Shri Guru Teg Bhadur Sahib Ji at his house and cremated the same in his house. This place is presently known as Gurdwara Shri Guru Rakab Ganj Sahib.

3.                  That this historical Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is situated next to Parliament House, there is only one road in between, about 200 yards away from the Central Secretariat, just to near to Rashrapati Bhawan and the same is surrounded by residences of Members of Parliament and this is highly security zone area.

4.                  That on 1-11-84, at about 11 AM, the violent mob attacked the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib and started pelting the stones upon the devotees, sewadars and staff members of Gurdwara who were present there in the premises of the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. The pelting of stones by the violent mob was continued for about half an hour and the mob was shouting Anti-Sikh slogans. More people came and joined with the said violent mob, the mob swelled into thousands. Delhi police personnel in uniform were watching this incident but they, intentionally, did not take any action against the said violent mob.

5.                  That the violent mob entered the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib at about 12 Noon. Somehow or the other, sewadars, devotees and staff members were able to push back the said violent mob, out of the boundary wall of the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

6.                  That one aged Sikh gentleman from the devotees came out from the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib to pacify with folded hands but the said violent mob caught hold of him and dragged him out of the boundary wall of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. The said aged Sikh gentleman was badly injured by throwing stones upon him, consequently he fell down. Someone from the mob threw white powder on him and the body of the said aged Sikh gentleman started burning. On seeing this, his son ran towards his father to save him from the clutches of the said violent mob but he was also got injured and set on fire in similar fashion. The bodies of both the Sikh gentlemen were badly burnt and were restless.

7.                  That I, alongwith, the help of some of the devotees etc. somehow or the other, dragged those two badly burnt bodies of the Sikh gentlemen inside the Gurdwara premises and they were still alive at that time. The police personnel in uniform were watching the incident, did not take them to any hospital or provided any medical facilities to them, rather they refused to take any action against the rioters or provided any medical help to the burnt victims. The aged Sikh gentleman could not survive longer because he was badly burnt.  Since no medical help was available or could have provided to young Sikh gentleman so he also could not survive more than about 3 - 4 hours thereafter. We made a number of phone calls at phone No.100, but all were gone in vain as, there was no response from other side. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital is just about ˝ Km. away from the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.  We could not go out as the mob had already surrounded the Gurdwara Sahib.

8.                  That the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib was continuous under attack as the mob further mounted. Ultimately, the violent mob succeeded in entering the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib at the instance of the police. The mob tried to enter inside the Gurdwara Sahib with a view to disgrace this holy place.  The mob tried to break, one of the main doors of Gurdwara Sahib. When they could not succeed in breaking it, then they set the same on fire, which was partly burnt alongwith curtains. I alongwith devotees, sewadars and staff members, were able to extinguish the said fire and deterred the mob out of the complex of the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib by throwing the stones reversely upon the mob which they were throwing upon us.

9.                  That the sewadars and staff members of the Gurdwara, simultaneously, also started bursting crackers which were with them (as the same were kept by them for bursting the same for celebration of ‘Gurupurab’) by putting the said crackers in cracker guns. These cracker guns are / were used during processions for bursting the to fire crackers.  On hearing the sound of said crackers, which was looked like a gunshot, mob ran away from the scene as they were presuming that we were firing / shooting from guns.  They mistook bursting of cracker as real gunshots. 

10.              That when the mob further mounted and again attack at the Gurdwara Sahib, one person inside Gurudwara Sahib who had a licensed gun with him, fired some shorts in the air to scare the mob.  That after sometime mob came with big force alongwith some of Congress (I) leaders, workers etc., out of which I can recognize some of them who are Congress (I) leader as Mr. Kamal Nath, and Vasant Sathe. On the instructions of the said Congress (I) leader, police fired several rounds at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. Till date the said marks of gunshots are still visible at the said Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

11.              That when the mob again tried to enter in the Gurdwara Sahib, once again sewadars and staff members started bursting crackers in same fashion. On hearing the said sound of crackers presuming the same as a gunshot, the mob again scattered and went away.

12.              That after sometime, Manager Late S. Gurdial Singh came forward and requested the police and Congress (I) leaders who were present inside the Gurdwara Sahib boundary to shun away the mob from the sight of the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. Consequently, they tried to stop the mob just for eyewash. The mob did not attack the Gurdwara Sahib for about 1 – 1 ˝ an hour, though they were roaming around and shouting slogans against Sikhs.

13.              That SI Hoshiar Singh, Incharge of P.P. North Avenue, provoked and instigated the mob again to enter the  Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib and handed over his service revolver / pistol to one of the rioter of the mob to fire at the devotees, sewadars and staff members who were inside the Gurdwara Sahib. Accordingly, that person fired upon us but any of the shot fired by that person could not hit any of us. We again with the same fashion started by bursting crackers and, simultaneously, the devotees, sewadars and staff members also came out for their safety and to save the Gurdwara Sahib, succeeded in pushing back the violent mob out of the boundary the wall of the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. SI Hoshiar Singh hurriedly came forward and took his service revolver / pistol from the said rioter and went away. Then there was a peace for sometime, though the mob was roaming around the said Gurdwara Sahib and continued to surround it and shouting slogans against the Sikhs.

14.              That at about 3 PM, again mob attacked the said Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib and tried to enter into it by the time, Police Commissioner and Lt. Governor of Delhi came at the spot alongwith heavy police force and came inside the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. They had put all the devotees, sewadars and staff members in the Lakhi Shah Banjara Hall and directed us to raise our arms up. They further ordered that if we move out, we would be shot.

15.              That at the same time, mob attacked the house of Late S. Gurdial Singh Manager, looted his house and then set it on fire, in the presence of Lt. Governor, Police Commissioner and in the presence of heavy police force. None of them even tried to stop them nor they have taken any action against the said violent mob.

16.              That the ladies, children and students of Gurmut Sangeet Vidyalaya were taken to the police station Tughlak Road in the police vehicle by the police. SI Hoshiar Singh took me alongwith 6 – 7 persons at P.P. North Avenue and detained us whole of that night and the next day, illegally. We were released on the next day in the late evening. Police did not arrest / detain or taken any action against any culprits / rioters deliberately and intentionally. The burnt bodies of both the Sikhs were lying in the Gurdwara Sahib compound when the police took us away from the Gurdwara Sahib. On the other hand one of the member of the staff was charged and arrested by the police in serious offenses illegally and deliberately.

17.              That I alongwith other persons who were detained by SI Hoshiar Singh requested time and again to lodge our complaint but he refused to lodge the same. Police did not take any action against the culprits who were present in the violent mob before their eyes deliberately and intentionally nor even tried to register a case in respect of burnt bodies of Sikh gentlemen despite our request.

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