After two weeks of extreme chill, the sun shone brilliantly over the Capital on January 30, 1948.
Like most people, the DSP (Parliament Street police station) Jaswant Singh and inspector (Tughlaq Road police station) Dasondha Singh too were basking in the warmth of the winter sun outside the police station Tughlaq road. Singh was on patrol duty.
Over peanuts and cups of tea, the duo made plans for a visit to Gurudwara Sis Ganj with their families later in the evening.
It was 2 p.m. Jaswant told Dasondha that he would bring his Jeep and then head for the gurudwara. At 5 p.m., he came to Tughlaq Road police station along with son, Gurdayal. Dasondha’s family resided in the police station complex and was getting ready.
Just as the two families prepared to leave, Nandlal Mehta, a young man, came in with a piece of news nobody was willing to believe. Gandhiji had been shot dead at Birla House, not very far from the station.
Gurdayal Singh, now 72, recalls: “He was shivering. He broke the news of Bapu's assassination. None of us could believe him.” Gurdayal now lives in Vivek Vihar.
“Stunned, my father, along with Dasondha Singh and almost all the staff, rushed to Birla House in Jeeps and motorcycles. They reached Birla House within minutes,” says Gurdayal.
{{/usCountry}}“Stunned, my father, along with Dasondha Singh and almost all the staff, rushed to Birla House in Jeeps and motorcycles. They reached Birla House within minutes,” says Gurdayal.
{{/usCountry}}Birla House was on Albuquerque Road (now Tees January Marg).
Mehta was witness to Gandhi’s assassination. He was at Bapu’s prayer meeting. After the incident, he cycled to the police station to inform about the incident. Mehta, who stayed at M-96, Connaught Circus, was a staunch Congressman and close to Gandhiji and Sardar Patel.
Though the murder took place at 5.17 p.m., the FIR was written by Dalu Ram at 9.45 p.m. According to Gurdayal, Mehta narrated the incident to Dasondha Singh and Jaswant Singh.
Then inspector-general of Delhi Police, D.V. Sanjeevi, and his deputy, D.W. Mehra, were also present at the station when the FIR was registered.
Mehta was down with flu and high fever. He read the FIR with trembling hands. Gurdayal said the whole investigation into the Gandhi murder case took place under the watchful eyes of his father and D.W. Mehra.
Mehra and Sanjeevi, according to Gurdayal, interrogated Nathu Ram Godse before he was sent to the lock-up of Parliament police station.
Dalu Ram was a resident of a south Delhi village. He died in 1969. Dasondha Singh has since migrated to Canada.