1984 Delhi Sikh Genocide - Statements

Statement submitted before the Nanavati Commission

Witness No. 72

Name : Ranbeer Singh

Age : Years

Occupation : ACP, Parliament Street Sub-Division, New Delhi

Address :

On SA

In was SHO, Karol Bagh from September 1982 to February 19855. On 31.10.84 I was in the Karol Bagh Police Station. At about 11.00 am on that date DCP, Central District, Amod Kanth had called a meeting at Darya Gunj and at that place we came to know that an attempt on Indira Gandhi's life has been made.

All the SHOs and ACPs of the Sub-Division of Central District were present. All the police officers were directed to take appropriate steps to see that no violence takes place, no holy place like Gurdwara are attacked and to take care of the minorities.

In October, 1984 there were about 8 Gurdwaras in the Karol Bagh Area. There were colleges and schools belonging to Sikhs. Shops belonging to Sikhs were everywhere in the area. There were more shops in Dev Nagar, Ajmal Khan Road and Nai Walan. There was no incident within the area of Karol Bagh Police Station on 31.10.84. I had made deployment of police force at all important places.

A number of pickets and patrolling parties were about 25 in all. On 1.11.84, I was asked by DCP Amod Kanth to reach Filmistan cinema area as certain Tyre shops there were set on fire. The area does not fall within the jurisdiction of Karol Bagh Police Station. I was there till 10.00 am. I requested DCP Amod Kanth to permit me to go back to my area as a thought had occurred to me that there may be similar incidents in my area.

While I was going to Police Station I saw one sardar was thrown down off his scooter and was being beaten by the mob on Ravi Das Marg. I rescued him and sent him to nearby police post. Thereafter, at about 10.30 am I had noticed about group of 25 – 30 youth Congress workers going in a procession. I enquired from then as to where they were going. They had replied that they wanted to hold a condolence meeting in the nearby park.

I doubted their intentions as I found that they had gone beyond the park. I told them that if their intentions were honest they would have remained in the park. Doubting their intentions, I dispersed them by using force. When I came near Keekar Wala Chowk in Reghar Pura area, I found that Mr Surjit Singh the then Municipal Councilor and his father were surrounded by a mob and were being manhandled. I also noticed that their car was damaged.

I rescued both of them and sent their car to the police station by asking my constable to drive it. I had sent them to their house along with some police constables. While I was still there I received information that shops of Sikhs were being attacked and burnt in Nai Walan area of Bank Street. So I went to that place. I found that one M/s Sahni Batteries shop owned by a Sikh was set on fire.

Crowd there was about 4000-5000 persons. They were not allowing the fire brigade personnel to proceed to that place. The fire brigade was already there. I had ordered the mob to disperse. I had about 3 to 4 police personnel with me and with them I tried to disperse the crowd. Bit it proved to be ineffective.

Thereafter, I fired a shot in air from my revolver. The crowd did disperse as a result thereof but within a short time again tried to come near those shops and became more aggressive. I therefore again fired a shot at the mob as a result of which one person named Hukum Chand was injured and fell down on the ground. As a result thereof the mob ran away from that place. As jeep had broken down I had sent him to the hospital on a motorcycle.

Later in the evening I received an information that he had died. While I was passing through Bank Street I found that 3 – 4 Sikh families who were staying in the bank street were under heavy attack. They had gone to the top most floor of the houses. The mob was throwing stones at them and they were also throwing stones at the mob.

The mob consisted of about 2000 to 3000 persons. I told the mob to disperse but they did not listen to me. Therefore, I ordered Constable Anand Singh to fire two shots in the air. The crowd thereafter dispersed. I left ASI Iqbal Singh and one constable at that place to guard that area.

Thereafter I went to Saraswati Marg. I noticed a big crowd of 8000 to 10000 persons. The crowd was proceeding towards shopping centre of Ajmal Khan Road and I suspected that they were going to loot the shops. There are many big jewellery shops on the Bank Street and Ajmal Khan Road. There are many shops owned by sardars on that road. I, therefore, fired two shots in the air. The crowd then retreated towards Beadon Pura. I had remained there till 1.00 PM.

Then I went to Desh Bandhu Gupta Road. I noticed that house of one sardar Sohan Singh was on fire and a big crowd of 5 to 6 thousand was collected there. SHO, Deshbandhu Gupta Road Police Station and DCP Central had already reached there. I came to know that Sardar Sohan Singh and his family members had fired some shots at the crowd from their house.

As a result of that firing one person had died and two or three persons were injured. Later on one of those injured persons had died. I told Sohan Singh to stop firing. I knew Sohan Singh as I had met him two or three times earlier. He also knew me. He, therefore, stopped firing.

The crowd there was very much agitated and we had to resort to firing in air again to contain the crowd. The police then brought Sohan Singh and his family members out of their house and made them to wait in a police vehicle. They were to be taken to the police station. The agitated crowd had indulged in heavy stone throwing at that time.

Some of them lied on the road in front of that vehicle in order to prevent the vehicle from proceeding further. The police then resorted to lathi charge. I instructed the driver to drive the vehicle any how and take it to the Police Station. The firing was ordered by the DCP.

Then I heard on the wireless set that the house of Sardar Jaspal Singh who was then a professor in Khalsa College and member of Delhi Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and a prominent Akali learder was attacked by the mob. His house was in Dev Nagar. Before I reached that place SI, Ram Singh Chauhan had rescued him and his family members. I was told by Ram Singh Chauhan that Sardar Jaspal Singh and his brother had come out of their house with swords in their hands.

This had happened after the house was set on fire. SI had fired three rounds to disperse the crowd. He had advised Jaspal Singh not to brandish their swords. The crowd consisted of 3000 to 4000 people. I had also noticed that the mob was about to attack the houses of Sardar Paramjeet Singh who was living in the house of 16-B of house no.28. Another Sikh family was living in house no.26. One more Sikh family was living in house no.16-B/10 in Dev Nagar.

I rescued all of them. I dispersed the crowd and left a picket there. It was not necessary for me to resort to firing at that place. Thereafter I had gone near the house of Sardar Avtar Singh Vir as that house was set on fire by a mob. By that time I reached there SI Mahinder Singh who had already been there had fired three shots in the air. As a result thereof the situation was brought under control.

I offered to take them to hospital but as one of the sons of Vir was a doctor. They did not want to be taken to hospital. As a result of our efforts the crowd had dispersed from there. SI Mahinder Singh and some constables remained there for many days thereafter. No incident had taken place thereafter at their house.

No other major incident was reported in the Karol Bagh area. Only small incidents were reported and police used to rush to those places and to disperse the crowd. Within the area of my Police Station one Sardar Sukh Dev Singh was attacked by the mob on 1.11.84. He had received injuries and later on died. I came to know about his death on 4.11.84. In all five deaths were reported in my area.

One of them was a Sikh gentleman. One had died in police firing. Two had died as a result of firing by Sohan Singh. There was one more death alleged to have been caused by firing by Sardar staying opposite the victim's house but during investigation it was not established as to who had caused this death. Except the incident referred to above no incident had happened after 1.11.84. In all about 8 to 10 shops of Sikhs were looted on 1.11.84.

Five cases of rioting were registered on 1.11.84. Their numbers are 797 to 801. FIRs 802 and 803 were registered on 2.11.84. One FIR was registered on 4.11.84 with respect to the murder of Sardar Sukh Dev Singh vide FIR No.806. One more FIR was registered on 6.11.84. Its number is 807. On 7.11.84 FIR No.813 was registered.

On 28.11.84 FIR 867 was registered on the basis of the complaint made by Avtar Singh Vir, Advocate. Three shops belonging to sardars had been forcibly occupied by the landlords during these riots. Those offences were also registered as FIR No.810, 811 and 815 regarding criminal tresspass. The first two were registered on 7.11.84 and last one was registered on 8.11.84.

On 3.11.84 at 4.00 PM I received a message from DCP Amod Kanth that I should proceed to Block NO.25, East Patel Nagar. So I had gone there. I found that one Sardar was already burnt alive. There was a huge crowd consisting of about 10,000 persons. Later on I had come to know that it was the house of one Birdi.

His wife, his son and daughter were inside their house. The crowd had told me not to enter the house as some shots were fired from inside the house. I went inside the house and rescued all the family members of MrBirdi. I had sent them in my jeep to Patel Nagar Police Station. Before rescuing them I had fired two shots in the air. While I was taking the family members out of house, the crowd was in a very agitating mood.

Therefore, ASI Ishwar Singh has to fire six shots in the air from his revolver. I also fired two rounds while rescuing them. I had also found that family of Sardar Narang was also under attack. I rescued that family also. In order to make way while rescuing the family of Sardar Nagang, Constable Charan Singh had fired 7 rounds from his sten gun.

The crowd was dispersed as a result of firing. Thereafter, I returned to my Police Station. On 3.11.84 and 4.11.84 no incident had taken place within my jurisdiction. But the police had recovered the looted property and had arrested some persons also.

On 5.11.84 Mr Dharam Das Shastry, who was the then Member of Parliament (MP), came there with large number of persons in three trucks. Some of them were Muncipal Councilors and Metropolitan Councilors. They were protesting against the arrests of persons by stating that they were not criminals.

The persons arrested were those who were alleged to be in the riotous mob and others who were alleged to have looted the property from the shops of Sikhs. At that time H.C. Jatav, Addl. Commissioner of Police and Amod Kanth, DCP (Central) were also present in the Police Station. After lodging their protest, they went away.

On 2.11.84 one Gurdial Singh Hora who was the President of Singh Sabha Karol Bagh, had approached me in the evening and informed me that his sister had been killed and that I should provide some assistance so that he could properly cremate the dead body of his sister. I had told him to come again at night.

I had then sent him to trans-Yamuna area in a mini bus where his sister was living along with 10 armed police personnel, with a view to help him even though the said area does not fall within my jurisdiction. He had taken the body to Nigam Bodh Ghat and the cremation had taken place.

Very probably on 3.11.84 when I was passing by Nai Walan, son of one Mr Sehgal had approached me and told me that Sehgal was a heart patient and a particular medicine was urgently required by him and shops in that area were all closed. I got one shop opened and obtained the medicine from that shop.

Read over and found correct.

(Ranbeer Singh) (G.T. Nanavati)

25th September, 2001

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On SA

Cross examination continued

I am shown file XXV/82/85 (which is now given Exhibit No.W72/1) it contains a report made by Ram Kishore Sharma who was the then ACP of Sub-division Patel Nagar. I identify his signature. I am shown file XXV/79/85 (which is now given Exhibit No.W72/2) it contains a report by Neeraj Kumar who was the then Addl. DCP of Central District. I identify his signature. I am shown file No.XXV/78/85.

It is the file containing the report made by DCP Amod Kant (which is now given Exhibit No.W72/3). Some of the documents bears his signatures. I identify the same. I am shown the wireless log book of DCP, Central District (which is now given Exhibit No.W72/4) it contains entries from 10.9.84 to 1.1.85. I am shown file No.XXV/86/85 (which is now given Exhibit No.W72/5) it contains a report which was sent by me to various authorities.

It also contains information regarding deployment of police force. It contains information on pages 14 to 20 regarding deployment of police force. On page 28 is the information containing the deployment of outside force. On pages 41 to 45 contains information regarding movement of the SHO. I have brought the original register of FIRs. I am shown a file which contains the photocopy of the FIR No.797 (which is now given exhibit No.W72/6).

I say that it is the photocopy of the original. The FIR is with respect to the incident of Sahni Batteries and incident which took place at Bank Street, Nai Walan. The file contains the case diary pertaining to the FIR. I am shown a file which contains photocopy the FIR of 798. It also contains photocopies of all other FIR Nos. 797, 800, 802, 806, 807, 810, 811 & 813 (which is now given exhibit No.W72/7).

I am shown file (which is now given exhibit No.W72/8). It contains case diary and other investigation papers of FIR No.798. I am shown a file (which is now given exhibit No.W72/9); it contains case diary and other investigation papers of FIR No.800. I am shown a file (which is now given exhibit No.W72/10); it contains photocopies of daily diary and other investigation papers of FIR Nos.813, 797, 800, 806, 807, 810, 798, 803, and 815. I am shown a file (which is given exhibit No.W72/11) it contains case diary and other investigation papers of FIR No.813.

Read over and found correct.

(Ranbeer Singh) (G.T. Nanavati)

26th September, 2001

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On SA

Cross examination continued

The FIR No.797 was investigated by SI Surjeet Singh. 10 persons were arrested during the investigation. All those persons were chargsheeted and later on they were acquitted by the court. FIR No.798 was investigated by SI Tulsi Ram. This case was in respect of firing by Sohan Singh and his family members. Three persons were arrested.

The charge sheet was filed in that case but later on the case was withdrawn by the state. FIR No.799 was investigated by SI Ram Singh Chauhan. 9 persons were arrested as accused. All of them were chargsheeted but the court acquitted them. This FIR was in respect of incident which had taken place in Prasad Nagar. FIR No.800 was investigated by SI, Mahinder Singh.

This was in respect to incident which took place in Reghar Pura area of Dev Nagar. 32 persons were arrested as accused in the case. All of them were charge sheeted. They were all acquitted later on by the court. FIR NO.801/84 was in respect of an incident of firing by a sardarji on Military Road. This was investigated by Inspector Shadi Lal. As the firing had taken place from the area falling within jurisdiction of the Patel Nagar Police Station, the case was transferred to that Police Station.

FIR No.802 was investigated by SI Shadi Lal. It was in respect of incidents on Saraswati Marg and Hardayan Singh Road. Two persons were arrested as accused in that case. They were charge sheet. They were acquitted by the court. FIR No.803 was investigated by SI, Ram Singh Chauhan. It was in respect of the case wherein it was alleged that firing was done by sardarji and as a result of this one Sarwan Kumar was injured and later on died.

The case was filed as untraced. FIR No.806 was in respect of killing of Sardar Sukhdev Singh. The case was investigated by SI, Ram Singh Chauhan. Five persons were arrested in the case. They were charge sheeted also. They were acquitted by the court. FIR No.807 was also in respect of rioting in W.E.A., Karol Bagh area. It was investigated by SI, Jagbeer. No body was arrested in that case. It was filed as 'untraced'.

FIR No.813 was in respect of attack on the house of Sohan Singh. It was on the basis of the complaint filed by Virender Pal Singh. 8 persons were arrested as accused in the case. They were charge sheeted. They were acquitted by the court. FIR No.867 was registered on the basis of the complaint filed by Avtar Singh Vir, Advocate. It was in respect of attack on his house by the mob and damage caused to his property.

It was investigated by SI, Ram Singh. 10 persons were arrested as accused in that case. They were all charge sheeted. Two accused were convicted and rest were acquitted. FIR No.810 was in respect of dispossession of the shop of which one sardar was a tenant. The case was investigated by ASI, Nand Ram. Two persons were arrested as accused in that case. They were charge sheeted. Later on the case was compounded.

FIR No.811 was in respect of dispossession of one shop in Reghar Pura of it sardar was a tenant. It was investigated by ASI Nand Ram. The named accused were arrested. They were charge sheeted. Today I cannot say what was the result of the said case. FIR No.815 was in respect of dispossession of one shop in Nai Walan of which one sardar was a tenant.

The case was investigated by SI Surjeet Singh. The named accused were arrested and put up for trail. They were charge sheeted. Today I cannot say what was the result of the said case.

90% of the goods looted were recovered by the police during investigation. 24 persons were arrested as receivers of stolen property.

Cross examination deferred

Read over and found correct.

(Ranbeer Singh) (G.T. Nanavati)

27th September, 2001

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On SA

Cross examination continued

I have prepared replies to the questionnaire submitted to me by H.S. Phoolka on behalf of Nov '84 Carnage Justice Committee. I am tendering it as part of my evidence (It is taken on record and treated as part of his evidence – Annexure 'A').

When Mr Dharam Das Shastry had come to Police Station on 5.11.84 Mr M.L.Bakolia, a member of the Metropolitan Council was with him. He was a Congress-(I) Party man. Sunderwati Nawal Prabhakar a member of the Metropolitan Council was also with him. Another person who had accompanied him was Sardar Gurbakash Singh. He was the member of the Metropolitan Council of Anand Parbat Area. He also belongs to the Congress Party.

One Dev Raj Dewan had also come but I had not allowed him to enter in my office. Mr Dewan was a notorious character. Mr Bhram Yadav had also come. He was a Municipal Councilor and President of Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress. Some more Municipal Councilors had also come. As far as I remember one Mr Kumar from Motiakhan had also come.

Whatever happened there thereafter was reported by the Indian Express in its issue of November 6, 1984. I am producing a photocopy of the said news item. (It is taken on record and marked as Exhibit No.W72/12). Mr Bakolia had tried to manhandle me in the meeting in my office. As a message was conveyed to me by the Additional Commissioner of Police (Addl. CP) through DCP that Addl.

CP would come to my office at 11.00 am and that some other persons will also come at that time, I presume that this meeting was arranged because of some complaints made by those persons against me to Addl. CP. Some of the ofences for which accused were arrested were non-bailable.

On 1.11.84 Mr Dharam Dass Shastri had not met me. None of the persons mentioned by me met me on 1.11.84. I had not heard the mobs shouting slogans. The small group of Youth Congress Workers which had collected earlier was completely dispersed by me. Some persons in the mob did carry dandas and iron bars.

The length of the iron bar was about 2 to 3 feet. I had not noticed anyone in the mob carrying Kerosene, Petrol or any other inflammable substance. When I had gone to Patel Nagar on 3.11.84 near the house of Mr Birdi, I had noticed some persons having cans in their hands. I had not seen any powder with anyone.

I had seen the mob at Keekar Wala Chowk at 10.30 am. I had gone to Keekar Wala Chowk also. A crowd had collected near the house of one Sardar Himat Singh at 11.30 am though I was not present at that time. Only two constables were present there. The crowd had attacked the house of Himat Singh with stones and some stones were also thrown from inside the house on crowd.

While this incident was going on a sound of fire of shot was heard by the mob and therefore, the people had run away from that place. As the two Sikhs were found hurt, the constables posted there had removed them from that place. Actually the firing had taken place on the corner of Gali No.69 of Regar Pura. Both the police constables had arms with them.

All the policemen in the pickets were armed. I cannot say how many arms were there in the police station. In all 8 to 10 arms were kept as reserve in the police station. All other arms were issued to the pickets and patrolling parties. I had met the DCP at Filmistan Tyre market on 1.11.84 in the morning.

When I had reached Filmistan Tyre market at 8.00 am, DCP was already there and when I left that place he was there. Throughout this period DCP had remained there. I had seen mob at that place when I reached there. The mob was of about 1000 to 1500 persons. The DCP had one platoon force with him. Ordinarily there are 24 persons in a platoon. Some of the persons in the platoon were armed.

I had then tried to disperse the crowd and taken steps to see that fire did not spread to other shops. I had not resorted to firing at that place. No firing had taken place in my presence. Even after I had dispersed the crowd, those persons had remained in the near by places and they were watching the things which were going on. For two hours we were trying to disperse the crowd and taking steps that the fire did not spread to other shops.

I will give the list all the Investigating Officers who had investigated the case FIRs referred to by me with details as to where there are posted at present.

Read over and found correct.

(Ranbeer Singh) (G.T. Nanavati)

28th September, 2001

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