[Below are testimonies of some of the eyewitnesses and survivors. The testimonies are transcribed from videos shot and shared on YouTube by a team of Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan activists.]
Bechan Rishidev
Indra Devi
w/o Bhavanand Rishidev:
I saw them coming and dragging people from the next door house, they threatened us by pointing a gun. We ran away inside the room where goats are kept. They beat me up, and I watched them beating up other people too. We touched their feet and prayed them not to beat up people. I appealed to the son of Jagdhar many times not to beat us but he used vile abuses against us and said we will not spare anybody.
We have been living here for many generations; our ancestors lived and died on this land. The Yadavs said they will kill our family and demolish the whole musahari. They were searching for diesel to set our hutments on fire.
Kamleshwari Rishidev's house also is in this neighbourhood. His parents lived and died in this place.
They also beaten up the husband of Khemia Devi (sitting next to her) and took him away. We tried to free him from them. They said this is for the land dispute, leave this place else you all will be killed.
I recognise the attackers very well. Babua, Ramu, Manish, Rajendra, Anmol Yadav. I have worked as a labourer in these people's houses. Hathkatta Anmol (Anmol One Hand) dragged away my family members.
Khemia Devi
WHEN they began the attack, some people from the meeting came inside my home to hide. The attackers came here too and caught them from my house. They started beating them. They pierced an arrow in our leader's body who fell down, then they caught Kamleshwari and dragged them away. The killers included Manish, Ramu, Babua, Manoj, Anmol and Tipan.
They beat up my daughter and tore her clothes. They beat me too, with lathis on my buttocks, on my thighs, and on my legs.
They took away five pieces of jewellery of my daughter, Rs. 10000 cash, a bicycle and many other belongings. My terrified daughter ran away in her badly torn clothes.
Phoolchand Rishidev
s/o Buddhu Rishidev:
WE were present here on that day, a meeting was going on. Suddenly people came from that side and started beating. Kamleshwari Rishidev and others were in the meeting and I was standing outside. They shouted catch Kamleshwari, catch Bona Rishidev, catch Bechan Rishidev, we have to kill them all. Then they (outsiders) started holding people and beating them with axes, hoes and lathis. Attackers with guns were standing around and one of them was firing. Tipan Rishidev was with the attackers, identifying people and telling them to catch this person, catch that person. All of us were being beaten up so we started running to save our lives.
They beat up Lal Salaam (comrade Satyanarayan Yadav) at this place, and dragged Kamleshwari from here.
There is a dispute for the land which belongs to us. We have papers (khatiyan) in our names.
They beat us up on earlier occasions too, so we stopped going on our land. This time they came in an organised way and caught us all unawares. At least 200 people armed with lathi, arrows, guns, attacked us. They tied us up at that place ... Babulal, Ramu, Manoj Rai, Mrityunjay were leading them.
