on Dec 26, 2020)NEW DELHI: In the summer of 1985, a series of transistor bombs exploded in Delhi leaving 49 dead, 127 injured and a city terrorised. The toll was much higher if you add those who died from similar blasts carried out in other states. But the case was cracked within 48 hours due to vital information provided by two unlikely informants: “a beginner-level politician cum-social worker and the other a poor old woman, a migrant from Rajasthan,” claims a new book.Those two pieces of “community-based intelligence” helped the cops set up a stake-out of prime suspect Kartar Singh Narang’s home in West Patel Nagar, says Khaki in Dust Storm, written by retired cop Amod K Kanth, then DCP (Central) of Delhi. He also supervised the Special Investigation Team set up to investigate the case.Ved Marwah, then officiating Commissioner of Police, Delhi, asked his officers “not to hurry into action or to conduct any open inquiry.” Instead, the cops set up a round-the-clock watch of Narang’s house. On May 12, about 2 pm, two individuals, later identified as Mohinder Singh Oberoi and Manmohan Singh alias Mohinder Singh Khalsa, were challenged by the police on grounds of suspicion as they were about to enter the house.According to the book, Khalsa took out a US-made .45 Remington Rand pistol and attempted to fire at the cops but was overpowered. Narang came out with aniron rod and along with the third accomplice, Mohinder Singh Oberoi, attacked the policemen. After a scuffle between them and the cops, the three were arrested. A search of Narang’s house allegedly provided a rich yield. Two boxes were found containing 67 transistor switches, batteries, wire cord, plastic explosives, detonators and 9-volt batteries, the book says. Many more arrests were made in the following weeks.However, 35 years later, in March 2020, a Delhi court acquitted 30 of the 49 accused owing to ‘defective, lopsided, unfair’ and ‘faulty investigation’. The Special Investigation Team had chargesheeted 59. According to a PTI report, “while five of the 59 are proclaimed offenders and never appeared to face proceedings, the trial court in July 2006 discharged five due to “insufficient evidence.” Of the remaining 49 accused, 19 died during pendency of the trial, leaving 30 accused who have been on bail since 1986.” All three “principal accused” – Narang, Oberoi and Khalsa – died during the trials.
“It is yet to be seen how Delhi Police deals with this judgment and finally what happens to this case, with the crucial evidence in the form of original documents missing, several accused, approvers and a large number of witnesses dead and the remaining turning two generations older, who may have forgotten this case altogether,” writes Kanth. Whether the final word on the case has already been spoken or not, only time will tell.
Source: Economic Times
