No better evidence on Kamal Nath: Panel

However, there were some adverse observations in the report:

• ‘‘Reply filed by Kamal Nath is vague.’’

• ‘‘He has not clearly stated at what time he went there and how long he remained there.’’ He was found to have been on the spot for at least one and half hours, which was ‘‘quite a long time.’’

• ‘‘He has not stated whether he went to the Gurudwara alone or with some other persons and how he went there.’’

• ‘‘He has not stated that he looked for the police or tried to contact the policemen who were posted there for ensuring that the situation remained under control.’’

• Though he left the place after the Commissioner of Police arrived, ‘‘he has not stated that he met him.’’

• ‘‘He was a senior political leader and, feeling concerned about the law and order situation, went to the Gurudwara and therefore it appears a little strange that he left that place abruptly without even contacting the police officers who had come there.’’

At the same time, the Commission said that ‘‘it is also required to be considered’’ that Kamal Nath had been called upon to explain ‘‘after about 20 years and probably for that reason he was not able to give more details.’’

Giving the benefit of the doubt to Kamal Nath ‘‘in the absence of better evidence,’’ the commission relied on the testimony given in his favour by Sanjay Suri, who was a reporter with Express at the time of the carnage.

This contradicted the testimony of two riot victims Mukhtiar Singh and Ajit Singh who alleged that Kamal Nath had instigated a mob on November 1, 1984 to attack the historic Rakab Ganj Gurudwara in the Capital.

The commission cited Suri’s evidence saying that Kamal Nath had ‘‘tried to persuade the mob to disperse and the mob had retreated for some time.’’

On the other hand, the two riot victims who deposed against him were ‘‘quite far away’’ from the place where Kamal Nath stood amidst the mob and they ‘‘could not have heard anything’’ that he told rioters.

The allegations made by Mukhtiar Singh and Ajit Singh were ‘‘by way of an inference drawn by them from the gestures that were made by Kamal Nath’’ while talking to rioters.