Question : Kindly enlighten us on the facts and circumstances that, in your view, led to the Operation Black Thunder H. Answer : These are political matters. Only the Government . is competent to make statements directly or through a

white paper. I have nothing to say.

Question : Would you like to comment on the operation

since you are supposed to be its incharge ?

Answer : The entire operation is an open book. The whole world is aware of the operation. It was widely publicised by the television networks and the other media.

Question : The Government has not cared to release the list of those killed or those who surrendered and were

arrested.

Answer : We would like to dispel public doubts on fake

encounters by releasing the lists of those who surrendered. I have myself sought a list from the police which as yet

has not been supplied to me.

Question : There has been killings of devotees in the

Prikarma area and no list has been released.

Answer : We killed no one in the Prikarma till 15.5.1988. By then all the devotees had come out. Only the terrorists

were left inside.

Question : Who were the ones killed prior to 15.5.1988?

Answer : (Silence).

Question : Were those killed identified before their killings?

Answer : We killed no one in the Paikarrna area. Only those manning the fortifications were killed. They were extremists.

Question : Which fortifications?

Answer : Rooms inside the prikarma were also fortified and

we regarded these roorns as “Morchas”.

Question : How many were killed and identified?

Answer : Thirty-nine. Of them four – Karaj Singh. Thande, ilagga Singh, :lagir Singh and a Taksal scwadar – have been

identified.

Question: How did you identify those killed?

Answer : We were told by those who surrendered on 18.5.88. Question : Do you know anything about the dead bodies being taken out of Akal Takht debris near the Langar building?

Any F.I.R. or complaint?

Answer : We have no details.

Question : Any clue given to you by the inmates in your

custody?

Answer : Those providing these clues do not tell the “why”

and “who” of these killings. They only tell us “how” the bodies were buried there.

Question : Any proof of extortions, rape etc?

Answer : The whole world knows about the extortions. There is, however, no report about any rape. You may better have an idea of the state of affairs inside from a statement made by two women to the Press.

Question : Do you have any instance of a person not able to provide money being killed inside the temple complex. Answer None with us. But this could be due to the fear complex among the affected people.