Name: 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Eyewitness who couldn't testify
Uploaded: 2013-04-10T21:59:40+05:30
Description: Surinder Singh, who passed away, was forced to leave the country fearing for his life.

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New Delhi: Another key eyewitness, apart from Jasbir Singh, in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots tracked down by CNN-IBN in December 2007 was Surinder Singh, who in that year was a granthi at the Gurudwara Pulbangash. On hidden camera, Surinder Singh gave a graphic description of how a mob led by Tytler killed three Sikhs on the street in front of the gurudwara. 
 
Just months after CNN-IBN aired Surinder's interview, he too was forced to leave the country fearing for his life. He has now passed away, without ever placing his testimony before a court of law. 
 
Surinder Singh, head granthi of the Majnu Ka Tila gurudwara in Delhi, told CNN-IBN he actually saw Tytler inciting mobs to kill Sikhs on November 1, 1984 a day after Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Surinder had said, "He was standing near the Masjid and cheering the mob.. Kill them!! They have killed our mother!" 
 
In his affidavit Surinder had said that the mob killed Thakur Singh, a retired Delhi Police inspector and Badal Singh, a sewadar of the Gurudwara in front of the gurudwara. 
 
"Badal Singh was screaming and crying in pain.. but they put the tyre around him.. sprinkled kerosene and lit the fire.. the man was burnt alive," added Surinder. 
 
Surinder also saw retired police inspector Thakur Singh being killed. "One man hit him with a metal water pipe.. On the head.. He fell.. His body was still. Then they put a tyre around him also and set him on fire! When he started screaming.. we realised that he was still alive," said Surinder. 
 
When the BJP set up the Nanavati Commission in May 2000, Surinder filed an affidavit exposing Tytler's role in the riots. The first affidavit dated January 12, 2002 said, "I saw Jagdish Tytler leading and inciting a mob that killed Sikhs on November 1, 1984." 
 
And on August 5, 2002, Surinder filed affidavit no 2551 in which he withdrew his eyewitness testimony against Tytler. "On 1st November, the mob attacked Gurudwara Pulbangash. People were saying the attack was led by Congress leaders. But in that mob I did not see Jagdish Tytler anywhere," it read. 
 
Two years later, Tytler submitted his own affidavit before the Nanavati Commission, quoting Surinder Singh's retraction. But how did Tytler know the contents of Surinder Singh's affidavit? And more importantly why did Surinder Singh turn hostile? 
 
"The witness is safe only if he is given protection. What if they shoot me, what if they kill me in an accident? What will you be able to do? They picked me thrice and then forced me to sign on an affidavit written by them," revealed Surinder. 
 
"Judge Nanavati questioned me why didn't you speak up before. Why have you spoken out after so many years. I told him that earlier it was the rule of the Congress party, how could I have said anything against them," said Surinder. 
 
The CNN-IBN special investigation has on tape for the first time the eyewitness account of Surinder Singh who saw three men being burnt to death in the presence of Jagdish Tytler. It has taken 23 years for these facts to emerge. Clearly, the Delhi police, the CBI, the Congress Party and indeed Jagdish Tytler, must now tell this country the truth.

1984 anti-Sikh riots: Eyewitness who couldn't testify

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Surinder Singh, who passed away, was forced to leave the country fearing for his life.

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1984 anti-Sikh riots: Eyewitness who couldn't testify

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