40 years ago July 27, 1986: Five killed in Delhi riots

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on July 27, 1986. 2 min readJul 27, 2026 06:40 AM IST First published on: Jul 27, 2026 at 06:40 AM IST Five persons were killed and 45 injured when mobs protesting against the killings at Muktsar in Punjab went on a spree of violence and arson in Tilak Nagar and adjoining areas of West Delhi. A number of houses, shops and vehicles were set on fire, while incidents of stone-throwing were reported from east, south and central parts of the city. Indefinite curfew has been imposed on Tilak Nagar police station areas. The Army has been asked to stand by, and a flag march was organised in Janakpuri and Tilak Nagar. Barnala told to nab killers The Home Ministry has taken an extremely serious view of the killings near Muktsar. The Home Ministe