Nathu Pradhan

Nathu Pradhan (also spelt Nathu Pardhan and Nathu Pradan in the records) was a man of Sultanpuri in West Delhi whom many survivors named as a leader of the mobs that attacked Sikhs on 1 and 2 November 1984. He is known only from survivors' accounts and from two official records. He was not heard by the Nanavati Commission, which wrote that he "had died earlier".

What the records say

• 14 October 1987: the Jain-Banerjee Committee wrote to the Additional Commissioner of Police that an affidavit by Anwar Kaur disclosed cognizable offences against Sajjan Kumar, Nathu Pardhan, Brahma Nand Gupta and others, and asked for cases to be registered at Sultanpuri police station.
• The Nanavati Commission's report summarises the survivors' affidavits for Sultanpuri. Sumer Singh, Manbari Kaur, Chal Kaur and others said that Nathu Pradhan, Jai Bhagwan and others led one mob. Padmi Kaur said the mob was led by Brahmanand Gupta, Uddal and Nathu Pradhan. On the events of 2 November, Ramesh Kaur named Nathu Pradan and another man as leading the mob, and Ghuddi Kaur said that Omi, Nathu Pradhan and Brahmanand Gupta killed her husband by pouring kerosene on him. One woman survivor said that he and two others stripped her and raped her.
• Moti Singh said that at the meeting on the morning of 1 November Nathu Pradhan and a Congress (I) worker named Bharti said they would kill Sikhs.
• The Commission's finding for the West District was that the evidence disclosed that Sajjan Kumar and Brahmanand Gupta, the two Congress (I) leaders, and Nathu Pradhan "had taken part in some of those incidents". Section 8B notices were issued to Kumar and Gupta, but none to Nathu Pradhan because he had died earlier.

All of this is what witnesses said and what the Commission read from their evidence. Because he died before he could answer, the Commission did not hear him, and the sources opened give no court finding on him.