1984 riot victim:
Bhagwani Devi said,
Two sons killed but prevented from giving testimony
New Delhi, Jan 15, 2008
PTI
NEW DELHI: Bhagwani Devi, a witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots,
is listed as untraced in police records. However, the 65-year-old,
who lost two sons in the riots, is very much in Delhi and keen
to give her testimony.
Bhagwani is not the only "untraced" witness ready to
present their versions on the riots. There are at least nine more
such witnesses ready to help protracted investigations into the
mass killings.
Bhagwani Devi claims that police did not record her statement
even once although she has been trying to give her testimony.
She even filed affidavits before the Justice M L Jain and A K
Bannerji Committee in July 1987 and Nanavati Commission in 2005
seeking permission to present her version.
"My sons Hoshiar Singh (21) and Mohan Singh (18) were dragged
out of the house and burnt alive in front of my eyes," said
Bhagwani, who lived in Sultanpuri during the riots and now stays
in Rohini.
"I lost everything when I lost my sons, I want the police
to record my statement," she said, alleging that she had
seen a Congress leader leading a mob and instigating it to "kill
Sikhs".
Asked why she kept quiet till date, Bhagwani Devi, who earns
her livelihood by working as maid, she claimed that she had approached
police to give her statement but the effort proved futile.
"The only thing police did was to ask me to fill some papers
for the loss suffered," said Bhagwani recounting the 23-year-old
developments.
She said a general FIR (No. 250/84) was lodged in the Sultanpuri
Police Station but police refused to file a complaint against
the Congress leader.