Head Granthi Second Key Witness against Tytler

New Delhi (KP) – Controversial Congress leader Jagdish Tytler who was recently given a clean chit by India's Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) in cases of his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms has once again found himself in trouble as fresh evidence establishing his involvement in the massacres has emerged. CBI dropped all charges against Tytler in November 2007 because of 'absence' of eye-witnesses as all those who had previous testified had withdrawn their statements at one point or another.

The IBN-CNN News team which played a big role in exposing exactly why all the testimonies were retracted interviewed Bhai Surinder Singh, Gurdwara Majnu-ka-Tilla who was a Granthi at Gurdwara Pul Bangash (Central Delhi) in 1984. In the interview with IBN, Surinder Singh discloses in grisly detail that the incidents of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were preplanned and Jagdish Tytler played an important role in the planning. Surinder Singh claimed that he personally saw Tytler, who was a renowned public figure, inciting mobs to carry out attacks against the Sikhs.

During his video recording which was released by IBN, Surinder Singh quotes Jagdish Tytler’s instructions to the mobs while referring to the killing of Indira Gandhi which took place on Oct. 31st, 1984. Although Surinder Singh had submitted his statement with the Nanavati Commission, he later retracted the statement as the police failed to provide him with any security. Surinder Singh, who without knowing that his statement was being video-taped held that he saw, not one, but three men being killed by mobs during the 1984 riots.

Murder of Shaheed Bhai Badal Singh by Mobs

Bhai Surinder Singh narrates how Bhai Badal Singh, the Ragi of Gurdwara Sahib Pul Bangash was attacked and killed by Hindu mobs after he left the Gurdwara Sahib premises at 8 AM. It was the morning of November 1; Bhai Badal Singh was near the Azad Nagar Market when he was surrounded by a team of mobs. Bhai Badal Singh ran from the market to save his life and hid at the residence of a person named Amarjeet Singh who lived close by. Mobs kept searching for Bhai Badal Singh but were not able to find him anywhere.

After an hour, when Bhai Badal Singh finally came out, the mobs spotted him and Badal Singh then attempted to run towards the terrace. He was followed by the mobs who were thirsty for blood of the Sikhs. One of them snatched Badal Singh’s kirpan and stabbed him in the stomach with it. Badal Singh had not died from the stabbing so the mobs then threw his body down from the 2nd floor. Surinder Singh was crying in pain and his body was then loaded on a small vehicle and taken to the Gurdwara Sahib. By this time, a lot of people were accompanying the mobs and all were dancing as if there was a wedding going on. A tire was put across his neck and kerosene was sprayed on him and lit. This is how Bhai Badal Singh was burnt alive by the Hindu Mobs.

Murder of Shaheed Bhai Thakur Singh

In the video, Bhai Surinder Singh gives details of murder of a Sikh Inspector named Thakur Singh. The murder took place the same morning. Bhai Surinder Singh was in the company of Inspector Thakur Singh and the mobs had already started their job of putting buildings on fire. At that time, Inspector Thakur Singh was working in the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee and had already taken retirement from his post as a policeman.

In the morning, when the mobs tried to attack the people inside the Gurdwara Sahib, Thakur Singh suggested Bhai Surinder Singh to refrain from going out in public. Instead, Bhai Thakur Singh went out to have a talk with the mobs himself. Bhai Thakur Singh told the mobs that a school of 1400 girls was being run in the complex which had enrollment of 1200 Hindu Girls. Thakur Singh was trying to explain that all Sikhs had good relations with Hindus but the mobs cared less to listen to his explanations. A man then approached Thakur Singh and hit his head with a metal rod. Thakur Singh became unconscious and fell to the floor.

Police shot bullets and helped mobs put the Gurdwara Sahib on fire

The mob then approached Bhai Surinder Singh and hit him with the same metal rod. In the video, Bhai Surinder Singh shows the bruises under his turban that were a result of the incident. Surinder Singh however escaped the attack as when he fell down; his hand touched the kirpan that was kept by the door. Surinder Singh at once took the kirpan and swung it with full force without looking and incidentally made contact with face of a mob. The mobs got scared and ran from the place to save their lives.

Afterwards, Surinder Singh went out to follow the mobs while holding the kirpan in his hand. Although no mob dared to come close to him, police which was standing nearby starting shooting at him. Surinder Singh then ran back to the Gurdwara Sahib after hearing warnings of the police. All Singhs then went to the top portion of the Gurdwara Sahib to escape further attacks but the mobs which had again regrouped outside now put the Gurdwara Sahib building on fire with burning tires and kerosene. They had some “white acid” which was being used to make fire.

Outside, the mobs discovered that Bhai Thakur Singh was still alive. Thakur Singh was then dragged to the same place were Bhai Badal Singh was burnt alive. He was then treated in the same manner with tire and kerosene. When he started screaming, the Singhs who were stuck on the top floor of the Gurdwara Sahib realized that Thakur Singh was also being burnt alive.

After escaping from the Gurdwara Sahib, Bhai Surinder Singh and others went to police station where they discovered that SHO Sardar Manjit Singh was locked up in a cell because he was a Sikh. Jagdish Tytler was sitting in the police station with other policemen.

Murder of Amarjeet Singh’s servant

Amarjeet Singh was a TV shop owner and his servant was the third person whose murder was witnessed by Bhai Surinder Singh. After Bhai Badal Singh hid at residence of Bhai Amarjeet Singh, the mobs had come to his house and found his servant who was also a Sikh. The servant, whose name was not disclosed by Bhai Surinder Singh in the interview, was then taken to outside of the Gurdwara Sahib. A tire was put across his neck and he was also burnt alive with help of kerosene.

This is how the mobs who were incited by Jagdish Tytler killed three Sikhs in front of Bhai Surinder Singh. During several times in the video, Bhai Surinder Singh confirms the involvement of Jagdish Tytler and having eye-witnessed the three murders, along with the other destructions caused on the streets of New Delhi.

Retracting Statements – Jagdish Tytler Exposed

For long, public has failed to bring Jagdish Tytler and other criminals who instigated murders of thousands of Sikhs to justice. The main reason claimed by the CBI remains retracting of statements by eye-witnesses. The video recording of Bhai Surinder Singh suggests why and under what circumstances the statements against Jagdish Tytler were withdrawn by all eye-witnesses.

According to Bhai Surinder Singh, Jagdish Tytler came to the Gurdwara Sahib and asked him to sign two sheets of paper. Bhai Surinder Singh however refused to cooperate. Furthermore, later on Bhai Surinder Singh was forced to retract his statement because he feared danger to his life through hands of mobs once again.

When Bhai Surinder Singh was called to speak to the panel of Nanavati Commission, he told them clearly that he only feels comfortable speaking against Jagdish Tytler as today, the Government is of a different political party but however, tomorrow if Congress again comes to power, he will be forced to withdraw his statements because he does not want to die.

These statements by Bhai Surinder Singh have once again put the name of Jagdish Tytler in limelight. Not very long ago after the CBI dropped all charges against Tytler, Bhai Surinder Singh is the second consecutive eye-witness whose name has emerged after that of Jasbir Singh who also testified involvement of Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. (Below is a picture of Tytler)