1984 Delhi Sikh Genocide - Statements

Statement submitted before the Nanavati Commission

Witness No. 74

Name : Amrik Singh Bhullar

Age :

Occupation : ACP, Special Branch, New Delhi

Address :

On SA

In November, 1984 I was posted as SHO, Patel Nagar. On 31.10.84 I was on leave. I joined duty at about 9.15 am on 1.11.84. In my absence Inspector Santosh Kumar, was working as SHO. When I resumed my duty on 1.11.84, I was told by Mr Santosh Kumar that because of the assassination of Indira Gandhi, situation was tense and that he had attended the meeting called by DCP, Central on 31.10.84 and that they had taken action according to instructions given by DCP.

He had told me that pickets and patrolling party were deployed in the area. The staff was briefed to take necessary action and to be more vigilant. The DCP had also instructed the SHO that there was likelihood of attack on Sikhs and their properties. I had started patrolling the area under me and while I was doing so I was informed at about 10.05 am that a truck was set on fire at the crossing of Rohtak road and Military road.

I reached that place, dispersed the crowd, and saved the driver of that vehicle. He was a Sikh. I have also informed fire brigade but they were not available. At about 10.20 am I received another call that some people were looting factories at Anand Parbat area. So I reached that place and fired two shots in the air to disperse the crowd. As a result of firing and chasing the crowd, the crowd had dispersed. I found that some factories were looted.

At about 10.45 am I received a message that some people had gathered in front of the police station and were shouting slogans. Therefore, I returned to the police Station and pacified the crowd. The crowd was shouting anti-Sikh slogans. I had dispersed that crowd. Again at about 1.00 pm I received a message that some more factories at Anand Parbat were set on fire. When I reached there I found that SI, Dharam Pal and his staff, in charge of Anand Parbat police post were there.

SI Dharam Pal fired four rounds to disperse the crowd. There was lathi charge also. The crowd was dispersed. One factory was set on fire. At about 3.30 pm I received a message that a crowd of about 2000 to 3000 had gathered near T-Point at Desh Bandhu Gupta Road and Military Road Crossing. I reached there with my staff. I found that the strength of the crowd was about 2000.

They were looting shops on Desh Bandhu Gupta Road. When I and SI, Dharam Pal went there SI, Ram Singh, in charge police post Prasad Nagar also reached there. The crowd was lathi charged and dispersed. In all two shops were looted. Police had arrested 6 persons on the spot. I was then instructed by the DCP (Central) that I should remain in Anand Parbat area as Military had closed the military road on both sides and it would have been a long way to reach the Anand Parbat area.

At about 5.00 pm I again received message that a crowd was looting shops on the Military Road. I and Dharm Pal had reached there. The crowd had pelted stones towards us. As a result of that I was injured. The attempt of the crowd was to set the nearby Gurdwara on fire. Because of our efforts and lathi charge, the crowd was not able to do so.

Two rounds were also fired by me. The crowd had started throwing stones on me as I am a Sardar. So I had removed my turban and put on a helmet to conceal my identity.

At about 7.00 pm I received information that a Sikh was firing from his house consisting of Hindus and that some people were killed. So, I immediately rushed to that place. By that time I reached there ACP (Patel Nagar) Ram Murthy along with his staff was present there.

The crowd consisting of about 3000-4000 persons were outside house no.9. House No.9 belongs to Manmohan Singh Talwar. His house was partly set on fire. So he had shifted to the first floor of his house and started firing from first floor with a double barrel gun. While this was happening DCP Amod Kanth had reached that place with more force.

He had announced on mike that Talwar should not fire any more. He was also asked to surrender. He had stated that he will surrender only before army and not before police. By that time Commissioner of Police, Delhi had also reached that place. Meanwhile a Major from the army along with force has reached there.

Thereafter Talwar had surrendered. As a result of the firing 5 persons were killed on the spot and five more injured. We had found that ground floor of his house was looted and burnt. I left that place for patrolling in other area.

At about 8.45 pm I received message that in Ranjit Nagar area crowd had collected and they were likely to attack Sikh families. I had gone there and dispersed the crowd. But I had not done anything because the crowd had dispersed. On 1.11.84 I had also come to know that 9 shops of Sikhs were set on fire in West Patel Nagar at about 1.30 pm. The DCP and ACP had reached the spot and taken action. In respect of all the incidents cases were registered.

On 2.11.84 there was only one incident. In Anand Parbat, Thansingh Nagar Area, there a house had been set on fire. SI, Dharam Pal had reached before me. He was dispersing the crowd and I had helped him. After police had resorted to lathi charge, then the crowd had dispersed.

On 3.11.84 the police had rescued about 350 persons belonging to Sikh community, mainly from the Anand Parbat Area and they were taken to the police station for safety. The police had arranged for their food and clothing from Gurdwara and other places. On the next day, food and other arrangements were made by the public of that area. On 2.11.84 also we had rescued about 200 persons from patel nagar and Anand Parbat Areas.

They were provided shelter, all of them had remained at the Police Station for four days and thereafter they were sent to relief camps. On 3.11.84 I had received a message that one house in Patel Nagar in block No.29 was set on fire. After I went there I found that it was the house of Kartar Singh Virdi.

A crowd of about 2000 persons had gathered near that place. The crowd had already burnt and killed Kartar Singh. When I reached there SHO, Police Statoin Karol Bagh, Ranbeer Singh, had already reached there. We then dispersed the crowd and were able to save the other members of his family. We had found that a scooter was also burnt. Therefore, a picket was deployed near his house. I had, thereafter, gone for patrolling.

At about 7.00 pm I had received a call that a crowd was killing Sikh persons in Prem Nagar area. I had gone to that place with my staff and had dispersed the crowd after resorting to lathi charge. Later we had come to know that a Sikh by name Satnam Singh was killed by that crowd.

I am shown a file relating to FIR case No.555 of 84 (which is now given Exhibit No.W74/1). I am shown another file (which is now given exhibit No.W74/2). It is the file relating to FIR case no.563. I am show another file (which is now given exhibit No.W74/3). It is the file relating to FIR case No.559 of 84.

Cross examination deferred

Read over and found correct.

(Amrik Singh Bhullar) (G.T. Nanavati)

3rd October, 2001

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On SA

I am tendering my replies to the questionnaire submitted by H.S. Phoolka. (It is taken on record and now given exhibit No.W74/4).

Cross examination by H.S. Phoolka, Sr. Advocate on behalf of Nov '84 Carnage Justice Committee

On 31.10.84 at about 7.25 pm a message was received from Commissioner of Police, Delhi that section 144 CrPC was promulgated throughout Delhi. I was on leave on 31.10.84, so I cannot say whether any incident of rioting has taken place on 31.10.84. However, I recollect that five persons were arrested u/s 107 and 151 CrPC. All of them were Sikhs.

As the record available here does not contain the names and addresses of those persons, I cannot say who they were and I cannot give their names and addresses. I do not know where the original Daily Diary register (both A & B) of Patel Nagar Police Station is. A copy of the Daily Diary register is in File Exhibit No.W73/6. The copy has been attested by Head Constable of that police station who was in charge of the record.

It is the complete copy of the Daily Diary register though being a handwritten copy it is not in the same proforma as it is maintained in the Police Station. Entry No.26-A (page no.118) dated 31.10.84 contains the names of Sikhs who were arrested. Their names are 1. Harjeet Singh, 2. Harnam Singh, 3. Anil Manchanda and 4. Joginder. One more person was also arrested but his name is not legible but he is son of Joginder Singh.

About eight incidents of violence had taken place between 1.11.84 and 3.11.84. Between 1.11.84 and 3.11.84 three houses were looted, 2 houses were damaged and 4 houses were burnt. 17 shops were burnt and four shops were looted. Five factories were also looted. In all 28 vehicles were burnt. Between 1.11.84 to 3.11.84 in Anand Parbat area 5 factories were either looted or burnt and one house was burnt.

In Patel Nagar three houses were burnt during those days. FIR 556 is in respect of incidents in Anand Parbat area. All the incidents covered by FIR 556 happened between 11.00 am and 9.00 pm. About 115 complaints were received by the police in respect of the incidents which had happened in Anand Parbat area between 31.10.84 and 3.11.84. All these complaints were investigated by the police while carrying the investigation of FIR 556.

All the 115 complaints were investigated along with FIR 556 because they pertain to the incidents either of 1.11.84 or otherwise no dates of the incidents were mentioned in the complaint. After investigation no accused could be found in respect of all those incidents except in one case where three persons were arrested as accused. In that case charge sheet was filed against them on 4.12.84 and they were acquitted by the court because of lack of evidence.

After verifying the record I now say that no challan was filed as all the cases were reported as untraced. Though a challan was prepared but in view of the lack of evidence it was not sent to the court. I cannot say exactly whether the total number of complaints were 119 or 115. I cannot say without verifying the record whether the list (exhibit No. W74/5) shown to me is correct or not.

The complaint of Daljit Singh at page no.290 (Exhibit No.W73/1) was in respect of the incident that had taken place in Faridpuri which at that time was part of Police Post Anand Parbat. At page no.302 is an application made by one Sant Baba Gurdeep Singh for return of his property looted from the Gurdwara, J-154, DTC Colony, Near Satyam Cinema.

I cannot say whether Gurdwara is situated at J-154, DTC Colony, Near Satyam Cinema. As the goods were lying found in the premises of Police Station Patel Nagar, the court had asked the report from the SHO Patel Nagar.

All those 115 complaints were given to the in charge Police Post Anand Parbat. Since all these rioting incidents were treated as continuous events, all the 115 complaints were investigated along with FIR 556. This was done in concurrence with higher police officers. FIR 556 was investigated by SI Dharam Pal under my supervision.

On the instructions of my superior officers, I had also agreed to investigate all those complaints along with FIR 556. A decision to treat all such cases in one case was taken at a meeting which was held by the higher officers wherein I was also present.

The discussion in this behalf had taken place in the Office of the ACP Patel Nagar. As far as I remember, the meeting had taken place in the Office of the ACP Patel Nagar. Besides myself even Investigating Officer (I.O.) was also present. I was told by ACP that this decision to treat those cases as one case was in consultation with DCP (Central).

There was three Police Stations under ACP. They were Rajender Nagar, Karol Bagh and Patel Nagar. I have no knowledge about the procedure followed by other Police Stations. Anand Parbat area is about 3 Sq. Kms. I had reached Anand Parbat area within 10 minutes, after receiving the first report of the violence in that area.

I had remained in the Anand Prabat area on 1.11.84 for 55 minutes. In all I had gone there for four times. I had received a message from the ACP that there is a danger to the life of Sikh officers and therefore, I should not move in the area too much. That message was received at about 10.38 am. The message that I had received was from Control Room. At 10.38 am there was also a message from Control Room that 100 to 130 people are demonstrating in front of the Police Station.

In the same message it was conveyed to me that I should not go in front of the crowd. This message is from the Control Room to the ACP as there was no reply from the ACP, so I had gone to that place. At 10.40 am, I had again received a message that I should not come near the crowd and the ACP should reach there. At 10.50 am a message was received that the ACP was trying to disperse the crowd.

The entry made at 10.45 am shows that the message was sent by the police station that SHO Patel Nagar had reached that spot. It is true that the log book is written with pencil. C-15 was the call sign of ACP, Patel Nagar. C-16 is the call sign of SHO, Patel Nagar. I cannot say whether there is overwriting to the effect that C-15 was changed to C-16 in the entry made at 10.45 am.

I cannot say because the register was written and maintained by the communication staff at static set maintained at the Police Station. Those persons are not under the control of SHO but they are under the control of DCP, Communications. The persons who were demonstrating before the Police Station were the people from the area and they were not persons from any particular party. They were non-Sikhs.

The crowd had not made any demand nor submitted any representation. The crowd was also shouting anti-Sikh and anti-police slogans. The crowd had not tried to attack the Police Station or any police officer. Nobody from the crowd were arrested. I cannot say exactly at what time the curfew was imposed but that was in the evening.

A message was received at 16.50 Hrs. to the effect that the curfew had been imposed through out the district and that military has arrived. It was also directed that curfew should be enforced.

I made request for additional force on 1.11.84 at 10.20 am. No additional force was received on 1.11.84. The demand was repeated by me and my ACP also. I had conveyed the message for additional force to the Control Room of the Central District at Darya Gunj. The message which are thus sent for are for the concerned DCP.

I cannot say whether the persons who constituted the mob were from outside or the residents of the area. I cannot say whether the Patel Nagar was dominated by BJP or Congress in November '84, but two Municipal Councilors are from BJP and two from Congress. One Mr Mewa Ram Arya and Mr Gulati were BJP Councilors. Both are residents of West Patael Nagar.

Mr Amarjeet Singh Pahwa was a congress councillor. I do not remember the name of other Congress councillor. Mr Pahwa was a resident of East Patel Nagar and the other councillor was a resident of Harijan Basti of Ranjit Nagar. I cannot say whether any arrest was made by the ACP or DCP while dealing with the incident of burning of 9 shops of Sikhs in the afternoon of 1.11.84 in West Patel Nagar.

However, later on I come to know through Gurcharan Das, who was IO in this case, that 6 persons were arrested in this case. These incidents were the subject matter of case FIR No.555. I cannot say without counting as to how many incidents were covered in case FIR no.555. Both the ACP and DCP had reached the place where the 9 shops of Sikhs were burnt. The FIR does not mention number of incidents covered by it. But refers to the incidents generally.

The FIR does refer to the places where the various incidents had taken place. The places mentioned are 1. Block No.23, West Patel Nagar, 2. Block No.29, West Patel Nagar, 3. Block No.28, West Patel Nagar, 4. 113, West Patel Nagar 5. East Patel Nagar and 6. Patel Road. The incident which had taken place in Block no.29 was in respect of House No.136.

The distance between Block No.23 and Block No.29 East Patel Nagar is half a kilometre. The distance between Pusa Crossing and Shadipur Depot is about one and half kilometre. It is not mentioned in the FIR from which place those 6 persons were arrested. The distance between Military Road and Factory Area in Anand Parbat is about 600 yards. No other incident had taken place on 2.11.84 except the one referred to in the examination in chief.

FIR 558 is in respect of the incidents which had taken place in B-14, Industrial Area, Anand Parbat area. The dead body of Dharam Vir Singh was found from a shop in West Patel Nagar on 1.11.84. FIR 555 was registered in respect of that death. FIR 557 was investigated and was closed as untraced. FIR 558 was also investigated and closed as untraced.

FIR 559 is still pending. The criminal case initiated on the basis of FIR 560 was decided by the court and the accused were acquitted. I do not know the outcome of the criminal case filed on the basis of FIR 555. 21 persons were arrested pursuant to the FIR 560. Four persons were arrested from the spot and others persons were arrested later on.

Cross examination deferred

Read over and found correct.

(Amrik Singh Bhullar) (G.T. Nanavati)

4th October, 2001

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On SA

Cross examination continued

I do not know if complaints were received by the police with respect to the incidents that had happened in Patel Nagar area. The case file of FIR 555 does not contain any complaints but in the challan it is mentioned that 149 complaints were attached to the challan.

The challan does have the separate list of the names and addresses of the persons who had given complaints but names of some of them are mentioned as witnesses in the challan. Statements of most of them are recorded u/s 161 Cr.P.C. are in the file. We do have the complete copy of the challan and the documents filed along with the challan after the same is filed in the court.

It is not correct to say that a copy of the challan and all the documents filed along with the challan always kept in the police file. Almost all the incidents referred to in the statements are of 1.11.84 and they were of the West and East Patel Nagar areas. The statements also disclose that one incident was of Faridpuri area. The place was just across the road between Faridpuri and West Patel Nagar.

One incident was of Baljeet Nagar also. That was a place just across the road between West Patel Nagar and Baljeet Nagar. The Patel Nagar starts soon after Pusa roundabout. The distance between Baba Faridpuri and Pusa roundabout is about less than a kilometre. The distance between Pusa roundabout and Baljeet Nagar will be about a kilometre and a half. The incidents were at different places which had spread over a stretch of about a kilometre and a half.

I do not know if all the incidents were committed by the same mob. It was a joint decision of myself and Investigating Officer to investigate all the incidents referred to in the FIR under one complaint as all the acts were committed by the mob continuously one after the other.

I had not received any instructions from the superior officers that all the incidents of a particular area should be registered as one offence and investigated under one FIR. I cannot say exactly in which blocks the 9 shops which were burnt are situated. They were of Block No.29, some of them were in West Patel Nagar, some of them are in main road of Patel Nagar and one of them was in East Patel Nagar market.

House No.9 Patel Road was about 300 to 400 yards from the Police Station. I cannot say exactly what is the area of plot in which the house is situated. Possibly it may be in 300 to 400 sq. yards. I do not know whether the attack on house no.9 was at 9.30 am. I do not know if the mob had set on fire a furniture shop opposite house no.9 at 11.30 am. No information was received by me that a garment show room in house no.9 was set on fire by a mob at 11.30 am.

I know that there was a garment show room in front portion of house no.9. It is not in my knowledge that a large crowd had come in DTC buses near house no.9 at about 2.30 pm. I had come to know what had happened in this house at about 5.30 pm. The FIR in respect of the attack by a mob on house no.9 was registered as FIR No.554.

One person was arrested as accused in FIR 554. He was arrested on 3.11.84. The person arrested was Manmohan Bir Singh Talwar. Nobody from the mob was arrested on 1.11.84 which had attacked house no.9. I reached the place of occurrence at about 6.30 pm even though the incident has taken place at about 5.30 pm. When I reached there I found that the show room was partly burnt.

A crowd of about 2000 persons was a little away from that house. I had not made any effort to enforce curfew at house no.9, Patel road as there was not enough force. The Commissioner of Police had come there after I had reached there. DCP, Central District, and ACP, Patel Nagar were present there with force. About 20 to 25 police persons were with them.

Ordinarily it would have taken 15 to 20 minutes for reaching Anand Parbat area but on that day I was busy with the crowd at the Military Road and it had taken 35 to 40 minutes to reach there. The shortcut for going to Anand Parbat area from the Police Station is through Military Road.

If the Military Road is closed then one has to take a round of 5 kms for reaching Patel Nagar. In the morning when I had gone to Anand Prabat area at 10.00 am, I had gone through Military Road. While returning from Anand Prabat to Police Station, I had gone via Rohtak Road, Desh Bandhu Gupta Road, Khalsa College, Radha Swami Satsang and Pusa Road Patel Nagar. I had taken this longer route as the Military Road was closed.

I do not remember when I had returned to the Patel Nagar area. After referring to the papers I say that I came back to that area at 10.45 am. While returning I had found people moving on the roads. I had not noticed any mob on the road. I had not noticed any body indulging in violence on that road. I had passed by Keekar Wala Chowk. From Anand Prabat, I went on Rohtak Road then on Military Road.

Thereafter, on Desh Bandhu Gupta Road, Guru Ravi Das Marg, Pusa Road and Patel Road. I cannot say at what time I had passed by Keekar Wala Chowk and Tikona Park. At about 10.50 am, I had reached the Police Station. I had again gone to the Anand Parbat area between 1.00 and 1.30 pm. I had gone by the same route by which I had come back to the Police Station. I had reached Anand Parbat Industrial Area at about 1.20 pm.

I had not noticed any mob on the roads. I had also not noticed any mob committing acts of violence on these roads. I had not noticed any shop or house or vehicle in damage or burnt condition. I might have left that place at about 1.40 or 1.45 pm. I might have returned to the Police Station almost through the same route. I had not noticed any incident taking place on the road.

I had not noticed any burnt vehicle or burnt house on the road. I had again gone to Anand Parbat area at about 3.30 pm. I cannot exactly say from which place exactly but it might have been from Patel Nagar Area. I reached there some where at about 3.30 pm. I had again gone by the same route. I had not noticed any crowd on that road. I had also not noticed any damaged or burnt vehicle on the road.

I might have returned to Patel Nagar by about 4.00 pm. I do not remember whether I had noticed anything on the road. I say that the roads from which I had passed fall within Karol Bagh and Desh Bandhu Gupta road Police Stations. I had passed through the inner side of the Ranjit Nagar, South Patel Nagar and reached Pusa Road roundabout.

I had not gone to the Police Station. I had gone on Military Road at Anand Parbat area at about 5.05 pm. I do not remember if any violent act had taken place on that road. I returned to Patel Nagar area at about 6.30 pm. I do not remember if I have seen any mob on those roads. It is not correct to say that I am intentionally withholding the correct information.

I do not remember now whether I had noticed any crowd indulging in acts of burning and looting shops and houses. I had not come across any crowd on those roads. I do not remember if I had seen any house burning while returning from that place. I do not remember if there was any burnt vehicle or damaged vehicle on the roads. I do not remember if I had gone to Anand Parbat area again after 6.30 pm.

Apart from Anand Parbat area, I had seen a mob at house no.9, main Patel Road and at the Police Station Patel Nagar. The mob at East Patel Nagar was near the house of Amarjeet Singh Pahwa and at Amarpali Hotel belonging to Pahwa just near Pusa Crossing. That was about 7.30 pm. I had not come across any other mob except this on 1.11.84.

During the night of 1.11.84 I was not in the Police Station but was in the area of its jurisdiction. I do not remember if the police had brought Harjinder Singh from Inder Puri to the police station on the night of 1.11.84. I can only say that number of persons were brought to the Police Station for their safety.

It is incorrect to say that Harjinder Singh was locked up in the Police Station during that night. I had not met Harjinder Singh nor I had told him that my revolver was taken away. My revolver was always with me throughout the night of 1.11.84.

I had not received any telephone call from the Personnel Assistant to the President of India on 2.11.84. FIR 554 was the first report registered in the Patel Nagar Police Station. It was registered at 7.10 pm. One person was arrested as accused in the case. He happens to be a Sikh. It is incorrect to say that I not telling the truth under the influence of my superior officers. I might have met Amod Kanth who is now Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) about two months back.

I do not remember now whether any person having bad antecedents was arrested between 1.11.84 and 3.11.84. In view of the disturbances in the city the home guards were not coming to the Police Station and on 1.11.84 there were hardly one or two Home Guards at the police station. From Block no.38, West Patel Nagar, Faridpuri is about 50 yards.

The persons in the mob which attacked Kartar Singh Virdi in West patel Nagar were mostly from Faridpuri area. I say that we had arrested 21 persons in the case who were from that area. On 3.11.84 a picket was deployed at Faridpuri. A picket was also deployed at Prem Nagar on 3.11.84. My movements were not restricted by my superior officers during the period between 1st and 3rd November, 1984, but I was advised by my superiors to be alert about my movements.

I was moving in the area under my police station in a jeep. About 4 to 5 police personnel used to be with me. Besides myself, two more police personnel were armed with fire arms.

Recoveries were not made from the accused but they were made from the places from where the stolen goods were abandoned. The police had made efforts to find out stolen goods. In one or two cases stolen properties were recovered from two persons. The police had also conducted raids in the houses of suspected persons in the area. It was because of the pressure of the raids the people had abandoned the goods on the roads.

It is incorrect to say that I had decided to include all the cases into one FIR upon the instructions from my superior officers.

The shots fired by me and my subordinates had not injured anyone as they were fired in air. Whenever any raid for recovery of goods is made, then an entry to this effect is made in the Daily Diary register. On 3rd and 4th November, 1984, I had not carried out any raid myself. There were many Investigating Officers and they were carrying out the investigation. There is no entry of 3rd or 4th November, 84 in the Daily Diary register that any raid was carried out by any Investigating Officer.

Read over and found correct.

(Amrik Singh Bhullar) (G.T. Nanavati)

5th October, 2001

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