SEPTEMBER 8, 2007

TEHELKA: How many months did you spend in jail?

Prahlad Raju: I was there for six and-a-half months. …

TEHELKA: What help did the VHP provide you with during that time?

Raju: They delivered goods at my home.

TEHELKA: Rations?

Raju: I have two kids. They were in school… I had talked to VHP people who used to come to the courts on hearing dates. They told me there was no need to pay the school fees and that they would talk to the school authorities… They did go to the school, but they didn’t pay the fees… When I came back after six-and-a-half months, I found I had to pay the entire fees for both kids at one go.

TEHELKA: Had they told you they would pay the fees?

Raju: Yeah…they had gone to the school too…

TEHELKA: Who went there from the VHP?

Raju: Bharatbhai Teli

TEHELKA: Bharatbhai Teli went there… and did nothing.

Raju: Nothing…

TEHELKA: The day this Gulbarg thing happened… were VHP people with you?

Raju: They were… At 8:30, they started from Meghaninagar … They were closing down shops… and banding together… I joined them at 7:30. I was acquainted with Atulbhai…

TEHELKA: Atul Vaid?

Raju: He said everybody was to move together…

TEHELKA: Who said this… Atul Vaid?

Raju: Yes.

TEHELKA: Atul Vaid said this or Bharat Teli?

Raju: Atul Vaid…

TEHELKA: Atul Vaid told you to move together…

Raju: Move together…

TEHELKA: From Meghaninagar ….

Raju: From there, we all moved together…

TEHELKA: Where?

Raju: Towards Gulbarg … We were closing down shops and people were joining us…

TEHELKA: People kept multiplying…

Raju: Kept multiplying …

TEHELKA: What happened after you reached Gulbarg?

Raju: Then the stone pelting started. When the other side started firing at us, we went back to our homes… I used to live in a Muslim locality. I got my kids out.

TEHELKA: You left the kids home?

Raju: It’s the same way from Gulbarg to my house. We were going from the back way… where there is a railway track… I was hit on my leg.

TEHELKA: Your leg was hurt… You were hit by stone?

Raju: No… A charra [small pellet] hit me.

TEHELKA: Then… you left the kids at home…

Raju: After leaving the kids, I went to hospital…

TEHELKA: From there you went to hospital…

Raju: I left the place at one o’ clock…

TEHELKA: The hospital?

Raju: No, the area… I mean Gulbarg… I came back from the Civil Hospital at five. At that time, they were being taken away…

TEHELKA: Dead bodies?

Raju: No… those who survived...

TEHELKA: They were being taken…

Raju: Dead bodies were taken away in the night… first at 11 o’ clock and then a second batch in the morning.

TEHELKA: You didn’t do anything there at that time?

Raju: At that time, there was stone pelting. That was all that happened.

TEHELKA: You were there only during the stone pelting….

Raju: I could not get inside…

TEHELKA: Then who went inside Gulbarg?

Raju: I don’t know who were present inside. But they were not local people.

TEHELKA: They were from outside… but were there any Vishwa Hindu Parishad people?

Raju: Yes…there were …

TEHELKA: Were there any people from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh?

Raju: They were carrying trishuls… Bajrang Dal…

TEHELKA: So it was Bajrang Dal people who went inside?

Raju: [nods his head in confirmation]

TEHELKA: Everybody was carrying a trishul.

Raju: Yeah..Carrying trishuls…

TEHELKA: So… where did the police pick you up from?

Raju: My name was there.

TEHELKA: You were picked up on the second day itself?

Raju: No, they did not pick me up. There was an inquiry so we left that place. Then I met these people… Chetanbhai Shah [public prosecutor]. He told me to get ready to leave the place for three or four months. He said, leave home for a month. I did that but the Crime Branch people started giving me trouble. Then I got myself arrested. Then they treated me well.

TEHELKA: The Crime Branch…

Raju: People from the Crime Branch behaved very nicely with us. We felt quite at home. Our family members used to come to meet us…

TEHELKA: And did you spend your own money on your bail?

Raju: No, the Parishad people did that.

TEHELKA: Did the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s people bail you out?

Raju: [nods his head in the affirmative] Nineteen people were released simultaneously…