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1984 riot victim: Bhagwani Devi- Two sons killed but prevented from giving testimony

 

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.