Moti Singh of Sultanpuri

Moti Singh lived in B Block of Sultanpuri, a resettlement colony in West Delhi, in November 1984. He is known from his affidavit about what he saw on 1 and 2 November 1984, as the Nanavati Commission summarises it in its report of 2005 and as Ensaaf, the human rights group, draws on it in Twenty Years of Impunity. What follows is his account as the Commission recorded it, not a finding of a court.

His account

• 1 November 1984, about 8.30 a.m.: he said that Sajjan Kumar, then the local Member of Parliament, told a mob gathered near B Block to kill the "sons of snakes" and promised a reward because they had murdered the Prime Minister. Whoever killed Roshan Singh or Bhag Singh would be given Rs 5,000, and those who killed other Sikhs Rs 1,000 "per head". Nathu Pradhan and a Congress (I) worker named Bharti then said they would kill Sikhs. Station House Officer Bhati, who was already there, told the Sikhs to go inside their houses, and attacks began.
• 2 November 1984, about 6 a.m.: a mob came near his house and started going elsewhere, so his son Roshan Singh tried to run to a safe place. Bhati fired at him with his revolver. A grandson who went out to help was shot dead by Head Constable Jai Chand, and another grandson was wounded. About 15 minutes later, he said, Brahmanand Gupta brought kerosene in a bucket and set the bodies ablaze.

In its summary of the Sultanpuri police station area the report says that affidavits including his show the attitude of some policemen who forced Sikhs to go inside their houses and then let the mobs attack them. Ensaaf's account of his affidavit has both grandsons killed and says three other members of the family died; the Commission's summary has one grandson killed and one wounded.

What the Commission found. It said that the accounts of witnesses about Sultanpuri and Mangolpuri also disclosed Sajjan Kumar's involvement, and that there was "credible material" that he was probably involved as the witnesses alleged. In its West District findings it said that section 8B notices were issued to Kumar and Brahmanand Gupta, and none to Nathu Pradhan, who had died earlier. Of Bhati it said his explanation, that his area was very large and his force inadequate, "is not a good explanation", but that because of the long lapse of time and weak evidence it recommended no action against him.

What he is remembered for: in the sources opened, the reward of Rs 5,000 and Rs 1,000 "per head" rests on his account, which also names his son Roshan Singh as one of the two men for whose killing the larger sum was offered.