Affidavit submitted before Misra Commission (1987).
Affidavit of Shrimati Surinder Kaur widow of S. Bachittar Singh aged 40 years resident of S-622, School Block, Shakarpur, Nehru Enclave, Delhi. Presently residing at C-111D, Tilak Vihar, New Delhi.
I, the deponent above named do hereby solemnly declare and state on oath as under: –
1. On 1.11.1984 I had gone to Bazar to make certain domestic purchases. My husband S. Bachittar Singh who is employed as driver in DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) had gone on duty and had taken the DTC bus to Kapurthala (Punjab). At that time my children were at home. When I returned home from bazar, I found that a mob comprising of many persons were shouting in front of our house and pelting stones. It was about 8.30 to 9 AM at that time. The mob had broken the windows and ventilators by brick batting and people were throwing burning rags inside the house. After the mob had left, I reached home and extinguished the fire. We took shelter in the house of neighbours.
2. Nobody thereafter came to our house for the whole day. But for the whole night the miscreants kept a watch on the house of Sikhs so that no Sikh could come out. My husband who was expected to reach home by the noon time, with great difficulty managed to reach home by midnight. My husband also came in the house where we were hiding. S. Balwant Singh house owner, Joginder Singh and Ram Asra Singh our neighbour also took shelter in the same house.
3. On 2.11.1984, a mob comprising of great many persons attacked our house. There were about 800 – 900 men in the mob. They had iron rods, lathis in their hands. The mob was being led by Sham Singh Tyagi. Accompanying the mob were Haru Singh Contractor, Triveni, Triveni’s brother Madan Kumar, Sharda Prasad Paanwala and one Tilka. When such a big mob attacked our house the Police did not come to our rescue. Nor did the Police help us. When the mob came to know that we were not in the house then Tyagi told them that we were hiding in the house of neighbour. The mob came in that house after scaling the wall.
4. That mob first beat my husband and the three Sardars with iron rods and lathis and then by pouring kerosene oil upon them burnt them alive to death. When we tried to intervene and protect them they pushed us aside. Thereafter they went towards our house looted and plundered it and then set it ablaze. I suffered a loss of about Rs.80,000/-.
5. After this, as I was scared, I went to Punjab, I have been given a flat in Tilak Vihar. My house had two rooms and a kitchen but I cannot live there now. I am afraid lest they may cause harm to me and my children. Even now I am scared that if they come to know that I have revealed their names, they will harm me or my children. Because they are the bad characters of that area and have influence on politicians and the Government.