S.S. Virk inspected fortifications of his force at noon on May 9, 1988. The Press next day reported, obviously on the Police briefing, that Virk was fired upon by militants and he suffered jaw injury. The exchange of fire continued — for six hours. At least five civilians were killed, one of them opposite the Akal Takht building, as a result of “cross firing.”
The militants have their own story to tell. An insider, who preferred anonymity, told the P.H.R.O team a few days later that the provocation came not from militants but from the C.R.P.F. Virk himself took the risky initiative of pressing with force a newly-built wall being Akal Takht with a view to pull down the structure. There was altercation between Virk and a group of militants trying to see the wall intact. A C.R.P.F. bodyguard of Virk opened fire to injure one Baldev Singh, at his shoulder. This provoked the militants. The men belonging to Sakatar Singh’s group fired back injuring the D.I.G.
The report of attack on the D.I.G spreak like wild fire The Government promulgated curfew in the wake of the incident. J.F. Reberio told newsmen at Chandigarh the same afternoon that “the Centre had been informed of the situation.” P. Chidambram told the Rajya Sabha that the Centre was planning “drastic action” against the militants in Golden Temple.
The curfew continued around the complex on May 10. There was sporadic C.R.P.F. firing throughout the day. The Punjab Director General of Police, K.P.S. Gill, told newsmen that security forces had been instructed to open fire on militants at the “slightest movement” by them. “The curfew would continue indefinitely giving rise to speculation that this time security forces meant business with 70 to 80 people militants caught inside the temple complex.” (Indian Express: May 11, 1988).
Darbar Sahib is Sealed
During the day 800 devotees and employees of the S.G.P.C were evacuated from the complex leaving
