In J.J. Colony in Nangloi, mobs arrived by train, equipped with weaponry, began abusing Sikh families and threatening “to abduct the daughters of the Sardars (Sikhs)”. Local people joined in with the mobs. Varinder Kaur’s husband Kultar Singh was dragged out and killed.1 In one home, four Sikhs boys hid themselves but were found, beaten, and burnt, as was Sher Singh and his son, Harbhajan Singh. The Sikh women and girls who had lost their menfolk in the violence proceeded to Nangloi Police Station for safety but were prevented from entering by the police who said, “Go away, you are Sikh bitches”.2
On the morning of 1 November, thousands of people arrived from nearby villages in trucks and trollies in Nangloi and set about putting Sikh homes to fire. At noon, thousands more arrive, this time on a train from Rohtak and Haryana. Sikhs were surrounded and burnt alive. In one incident, two Sikh girls who jumped from the terrace of their house were caught. They were hit by lathis and killed. By the evening, the local Gurdwara was burning along with the Guru Granth Sahib.3
In nearby Punjabi Bagh, Tarlochan Singh, Amrik Singh, Swaroop Singh along with four more Sikhs were attacked. All were beaten and then burnt to death. Witness testified that Seven police officials, sitting in their police jeep were present at the scene. The dead bodies of 100 Sikhs were lying on the roads and alleyways.4 Krishna, the widow of Inder Singh testified to the Misra Commission: “The police used to laugh and jeer when I narrate this story to them. The police was in hand and glove with the assailants who were generally Hindus and Non-Sikh Congress workers. Most of them were from Haryana, in the police force at Nangloi.”5
Mohinder Singh witnessed that amongst the mob that attacked the local Gurdwara were wearing ‘Khaki pants’ (usually worn by the police). In the attacks in the area that followed, the mob shouted ‘Pakro, Maro (catch them and kill)”. The following people were killed here: Harcharan Singh, Jaspal Singh, Rajinder Singh and Karam Singh.6
Partap Kaur saw with her own eyes the attacks on Sarup Singh and Rattan Singh who were both burnt alive. She witnessed a mob on 1 November, led by 14 men wearing white clothes shouting “Kill the Sikhs and burn their houses after looting them, for three days we are the rulers.” She and others took shelter with their Muslim neighbours. Later in the day, she ventured to Punjabi Bagh Police Station to alert them on the violence. The police there ignored her. Before leaving, she spotted between 8 and 10 injured Sikhs with their children who had escaped Trilokpuri. When she returned to Nangloi, she saw 32 dead bodies of Sikhs.7