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BEFORE JUSTICE NANAVATI COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ( Witness No : 71 ) Name : Shri Gurmeet Singh On SA I was working as Police Sub-Inspector at Police Station Tughlaq Road in 1984. Today I have brought the original FIR register for the period from 31.10.84 to 5.11.84. Between 31.10.84 and 5.11.84 only one case was registered at Tughlaq Road Police Station by way of fall out of assassination of Smt Indira Gandhi. The FIR was registered as FIR No.242 of 1984. I say that the photocopy which is in the file ( which is now given Exhibit No.71/1) is the correct copy of the original FIR. The FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint of SI, Kanwar Singh. The case was also investigated by SI Kanwar Singh. I say that pursuant to the said FIR investigation was made and 3 persons were arrested as accused in that case. A chargesheet was filed in that case after completion of investigation. One accused was convicted and two were acquitted in that case. My attention is drawn to the file (which is now given exhibit No.71/2) and I say that it contains the report of Inspector Baldev Singh who was the then SHO of Tughlaq Road Police Station. I identify his signatures. I say that the file contains not only the report but also the enclosures. Those enclosures are 1. Chart showing the deployment of force in Khan Market and Sujan Singh Park area from 1.11.84 to 4.11.84. 2. Reports received in the Police Station and the action taken by different IOs. It also contains the true copies of the Daily Diaries from 31.10.84 to 5.11.84. [ Cross deferred ] Read over and found correct ( GURMEET SINGH )
( G.T. NANAVATI ) ( Witness No : 71 ) Name : Shri Gurmeet Singh On SA Cross examination by Shri H.S.Phoolka on behalf of Nov’84 Carnage Justice Committee : I do not know where the original DD register is kept. According to me it is normally destroyed after 2 years. The DD register consists of loose sheets but all the sheets are tied together either by stitching or with the help of stapler. The sheets, when they are received, in the bound position as stated above, are bound in such a manner no sheet can be removed out of it. The pages are also numbered. When the sheets are bound they become a register. I cannot say whether a copy of the DD register in file Exhibit No.W71/2 is the photocopy of the original or a handwritten of the original. I now say that the copy which is produced here is written with pen and ink. The copy does not bear the numbers of the original pages. The copy is not in my handwriting. The copies of the DD register are not attested as true copy of the DD register. On 31.10.84 my duty was in the police station. During the day I had gone to No.1, Safdarjung Road, the place of incident. I had not visited any other place on 31.10.84. On 1.11.84 at 4.00 AM I had gone for patrolling in the area falling under my police station. I returned to the police station at 6.15 AM. I recollect that I had gone out again but as there are no entries in the DD register so I cannot say where exactly I had gone. I also do not recollect at what time I had left the police station. Shri Baldev Singh was the SHO of Tughlaq Raod Police Station. He has now retired from service. At 5.30 PM an information was received at Tughlaq Raod Police Station that one vehicle near the crossing of Sardarjung road and Aurbindo Road has been set on fire. At about 6.23 PM information was also received that buses were being stopped near the crossing of Sardarjung Road and Tughlaq Road and that Sardars are taken out from those buses and are being beaten. I cannot say whether the police were deployed between All India Medical Institute (AIIMS) and Prime Minister’s house. In response to the information received at 5.30 PM, SI Kanwar Singh was sent to enquire into. The distance between the Safdarjung road and Auribindo road Crossing and Tuqhlaq Road Police Station is about 1 Kilometer. The distance can be about a half a kilometer also. I do not recollect if the crossing of Tughlaq Road and Safdarjung Road would come before the crossing of Safdarjung road and Auribindo road while going from the Police Station. I remember that on 31.10.84 there were some incidents of violence in Khan Market area. I do not know whether any additional force was deployed at the Khan Market. I refer to entry No.13 of the DD register and say that at about 7.25 PM information was received from ASI, Ved Pal that at Khan Market, Sujan Singh Park the booth of the taxi stand was on fire. ASI, Raj Beer Singh, ASI Darshan Lal and 6 or 7 constables were sent to that place. At 9.30 PM it was reported by ASI Raj Beer Singh, that the said information was bogus. I do not find any complaint on the file with respect to the looting of Shop No.13-B of Khan Market. On the basis of the report at page 115 of Exhibit No.W71/1, I say that it does refer to the incident of looting of a shop No.13-B of Khan Market. It also indicates that the owner of the shop was interrogated during investigation. It is true that the report also refers to the incident of looting of Shop No.F-9, Khan Market. The said report is of 16.3.1990. In the report there is no reference to the action that was taken after the investigation. I cannot say what further action was taken by the police as many pages of the file are in Urdu. Page 32 of the file purports to be a record of the complaint in respect of shop No.13-B, Khan Market. My attention is drawn to page 36 of the file, I say that it contains reproduction of the complaint signed by someone for Dr. Monga. The complaint was in respect of Shop No.FG, Khan Market. I do not know if the taxi stand on the crossing of Sujan Singh Park and Khan Market was looted and burnt. I do not know if the Gurudwara behind that place was also looted and burnt. I do not know if the cars of garage of Sukhwant Singh behind Sujan Singh Park and near Khan Market were burnt. I do not know if Shri Sukhwant Singh had made a complaint to that effect to the police. I am shown the photocopy of the complaint purporting to be made by Shri Sukhwant Singh to SHO, Tughlaq Road Police Station. I cannot say if such a complaint was received by the SHO of the Tughlaq Road Police Station. (The copy shown to the witnesses is taken on record and marked as Exhibit No. W71/3). I do not know if anybody was arrested on 31.10.84. I do not if anybody was arrested on 1.11.84. My attention is drawn to first entry of 1.11.84 in DD register which shows that no person was in custody. So also the entry made on DD register shows that there was no person in the custody. The three accused of FIR No.242 were arrested on 8.11.84. I do not know where the log book maintained at the police station for 31.10.84 to 5.11.84 is. I do not know if any body had produced copy of such a log book before this Commission. I say that the chart at page 12 and 13 of Exhibit No.W71/2 shows the deployment of police on 31.10.84. The chart consists of three pages 12, 13 and 14. The chart at pages 8 and 9 of the file shows the deployment of police force on 1.11.84 and 2.11.84. I cannot say whether it is the complete deployment of chart or deployment at some places. I cannot say what was the total strength of police in Tughlaq Road Police Station, at that time. I say that the total strength of the officers and police constables at Tughlaq Road Police Station was more than 50. My attention is drawn to entry no. 13-A of DD register. I say that the two persons who were arrested were not in connection with any incident of Anti-Sikh rioting. Entry No..4 of DD ‘A’ of 1.11.84 shows that a information was received at the police station that a mob had collected at Krishna Menon Marg. On receiving this information SI, Veer Singh was sent to that place. The police officer had returned at 3.10 PM. It does not mention what was done by him at that place. I do not know what had happened at the crossing of Krishna Menon Marg and Duplex Road and what had been done by SI, Veer Singh. DD entry No.6 shows that information was received at the Police Station from one Balwant Singh to the effect that a crowd had collected at Claridges Hotel and they were throwing stones. On receiving the information SI, Sube Singh was sent to that place. The officer had returned at 1.40 AM at night and had reported that nothing untoward had happened. It is recorded at entry no.57-B. It is false to say that on 31.10.84 the Sikhs were forcibly taken out from the buses and were beaten in the presence of police. It is also false to say that the vehicles of Sikhs were burnt in the presence of police. I do not know if the cars were burnt near Sujan Singh Park and shops were looted in the presence of the police. Read over and found correct
( GURMEET SINGH )
( G.T. NANAVATI )
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