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POLICE STATION MANGOLPURI

SHO: Inspector R.S. Dahiya
ACP: Shri J.K. Saxena.

Police Station Mangolpuri comprises of 23 Blocks of resettlement colonies with a population of about 2.5 lakhs.

DEATHS

The total number of deaths in this police Station, according to the SHO, was given as 19 initially.  This figure was later increased to 69.  The Citizens’ Justice Committee indicated a figure of 132 deaths, whereas the Delhi Administration has identified 112 deaths.  Keeping in view the fact that the bodies of the victims were burnt and disposed of, the figure of 132 might be nearer the truth.

EVENTS

On an analysis of the various affidavits and the police records, it is apparent that there was no trouble in this area on 31.10.1984.  Trouble started on 1.11.84.  The initial attacks were on the Gurudwaras in various blocks by mobs led by local leaders.  The Gurudwaras of Block G, R, B, D, S, etc. etc. were attacked, looted and burnt unchecked.  In the evening of 1.11.84, attacks took place in Rohini Block area.  Evidence of Shri Radho Ram Pandey (2435) is relevant in this connection.  He has stated that trouble started in the area around2.00 PM. On 1.11.84.  He was eye-witness to the attacks and killings.   Being the Pradhan of that area, he went to the Police Station.  He was told to runaway and safe his own life. The police did not render   any help.  He has named quite a few persons who were involved the riots.  Being a non-Sikh and a representative that area, his evidence becomes quite significant.  Incidents of violence, loot, arson and killings continued even on the2ndand 3rd .  According to Surjit Kaur (77), the SHO, ACP and DCP were inci------    the killers.  The police officers were even directing   the killer’s to remove the dead bodies so that no evidence of killings remained.  Affidavits of Shri Niranjan Singh (2587) and Shri Ajit Singh (2388) also indicate police involvement in the killings.  When the police was specifically approached to render help, they refused to help the deponents.  This is not only clear from the affidavits of Shri Radho Ram Pandey (2435) but also Daropati (2350); Harnam Singh (2459) and Myna Kaur (2462).

The unhelpful attitude of the police is also evident from the affidavit of Shri Ahal Singh (2770) who is a retired Class I Officer from the ISRE Cadre who has been working as a Hony Technical Adviser and Trustee of Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust for the benefit of physically handicapped persons in Delhi.  He has described certain events of this Police Station.  According to him, the affected people of this area were so scared that subsequently in spite of his efforts and contacts made with senior officers, the riot victims were not prepared to go back to their homes.  Surprisingly, the officers who were sent for enquiries were the same SHO and ACP who had been responsible for the killings.  Some of the victims were being threatened and chased by the assessing according to Shri Ahal Singh.  In one incident when the deponent was complaining to the SHO, a large number of victims came running and they were followed by the alleged assassins.  The SHO stated that these people had been bailed out and he found himself helpless.  The deponent complained to the Commissioner of Police Shri S.S. Jog on 23.11.84, gave him a complete picture and also told him that the sketchy FIRs would not do as they were inadequate for registering cases.  The affidavit of Shri Ahal Singh, who tried to help the riot victims, is indeed Avery telling one and gives a clear picture of the indifference and callousness of the local police.

The affidavits of Smt. Surjit Kaur (77), Shri Ram Saran (78), Shri Lal Singh (87) and Shri Natha Singh (88) all describe the killings in this Police Station.  The names of the killers are well known and they are all quite notorious characters.  However, it was only when the army came to this area on the 2nd evening that the situation started getting normalized.  During the entire period of the riots, police presence was negligible, ineffective and where it was present they apparently abetted with the criminals rather than take action to control the situation.  This is also clear from the fact that they did not register the complaints of the riot victim’s when approached by them at the Police Station.

FIR' s

In spite of the large number of incidents on 1st, 2nd and 3rd November, 1984, it is a matter of surprise that during this entire period only one FIR No. 174 was registered in spite of the fact that over a hundred deaths took place; a number of Gurudwaras were looted and burnt and arson continued unabated.  Apparently, the police were concealing and playing down the incidents so that it could not be held accountable for inaction at a later date.