Sarai Naga encounter was real: Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 20

Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann has claimed that the police encounter at Sarai Naga Sahib Gurdwara in Faridkot district on April 11, 1979, was “real” and it had taken place because “intoxicated Nihangs had captured the historic shrine and were firing gunshots”.

The Tribune on July 20 carried a news report ‘Bullet-riddled walls of Sarai Naga gurdwara seek answers from MP’. It is alleged that Mann, who was the Faridkot SSP then, had killed Nihangs in a fake police encounter.

Nihangs killed in exchange of fire

Then District Magistrate ordered the police to fire in self-defence. Nihangs were killed in the exchange of fire. — Simranjit Singh Mann, Sangrur MP

Mann has claimed Nihangs had killed policemen and continued firing at the police.

“The District Magistrate gave the orders to the police to fire in self-defence. Nihangs were killed in the exchange of fire. One can raise the suspicion of a fake encounter only when the opponents are killed and there is no casualty on the police side,” he said.

Former IAS officer Gurtej Singh, who wrote a write-up on the 1979 incident, rubbished Mann’s claims and said there was no doubt that Nihangs were killed after they were made to surrender. He said his source of information was then District Magistrate Gurbax Singh Gosal.

Gurtej Singh said he had sent his write-up to Mann.

The MP, the former officer said, did not respond and, instead, blocked his email id.

Reacting to Gurtej Singh’s claim, the MP said: “When then District Magistrate had himself ordered the police to shoot in self-defence, how he could stop me from shooting the Nihangs.”

Mann categorically denied to have killed the Nihangs with his revolver. “Whether they were shot by a rifle or a revolver, this can be ascertained from the post-mortem report of the deceased,” the Sangrur MP said.

“Since Gurtej Singh was the Deputy Secretary (Home) then, why he did not record the statement and send it to the Home Secretary?” the SAD (Amritsar) noted.

Mann had recently triggered a controversy by calling Shaheed Bhagat Singh a “terrorist”.

Mann factually incorrect: Ex-officer

Former IAS officer Gurtej Singh said everyone knew about the track record the Punjab Police when it came to manipulating the post-mortem reports. “I was not posted as the Deputy Secretary (Home) when the incident took place. I got posted in Faridkot a year later. Simranjit Singh Mann is factually incorrect,” he said.

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