Karol Bagh

Karol Bagh is a business and residential district of central Delhi, with some big business and training centres. In 1984 its local Member of Parliament was the Congress leader Dharam Dass Shastri, and its police station fell in the Central District, whose Deputy Commissioner of Police was Amod Kanth. The Nanavati Commission examined the Karol Bagh police station area in its report on the Central District. The Mittal committee also reported on the Karol Bagh police station.

Key moments

• 31 October to 2 November 1984: the Nanavati Commission records that the area stayed comparatively peaceful, with no violence reported on 31 October. One Sikh was killed and eight injured, five houses and 37 vehicles were burnt, and six shops were looted or burnt. Police fired at seven places, 153 rounds in all, and recovered looted goods worth Rs 20 lakh (p. 32). The Mittal committee says violence began on the night of 31 October, particularly in Rehgarpura, and commends the station house officer, Ranbir Singh, for saving people (paras. 1.3, 1.7).
• On 1 November 1984 a mob armed with weapons attacked the house of the advocate Avtar Singh Vir in Krishna Nagar, injuring him and his two sons and looting and burning, until police fired to bring the situation under control. He complained that no police help came despite his calls. A written complaint of that day was not registered as an offence until 28 November, and the Commission found that no further action followed (pp. 33, 145).
• 5 November 1984: the Nanavati Commission records that the station house officer's drive had recovered looted property and arrested 24 people when Shastri, with Metropolitan and Municipal councillors, went to the station with a crowd, which witnesses cited by the Commission put at about 3,000. Deputy Commissioner Amod Kanth's letter of 7 November speaks of three truckloads of "ruffians". Shastri condemned the arrests, saying those arrested were not criminals, and the police were warned of dire consequences. Additional Commissioner of Police H.C. Jatav, who was present, told the Deputy Commissioner and the SHO it was not proper to behave so with political leaders (Nanavati, pp. 35, 146).
• Both inquiries record that the journalist Sanjay Suri, who was at the police station, supported this account. The Mittal report says the political leaders virtually stormed the station, humiliated the Deputy Commissioner, and that Jatav sided with them instead of supporting his staff (para. 4.12).
• 2005: The Nanavati Commission found credible evidence that Shastri had instigated two local men, Tek Chand Sharma and Rajinder Singh, to organise attacks on Sikhs; Shastri denied the allegations. The Commission recommended that the Government examine the material and order investigation as needed (pp. 146 to 147).

What it means today. The Mittal committee's postscript says the Central District, where police acted early, secured the most convictions of any district in the cases from November 1984.