IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Feb 21: Making observations on the status report by Special Investigation Team (SIT) that has closed 239 out of 293 anti-Sikh riot cases, the Supreme Court on Monday indicated that a “high-level committee” should be constituted to monitor the probe and trials by SIT, saying that “these cases concern the entire country.”
“Why can’t you have a high-level committee? Whatever has happened has happened, but you should now have a high-level committee in place to monitor the investigations and progress of trials in this case,” a bench led by Justice Dipak Misra was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Other two members of the bench are Justices A M Khanwilkar and Mohan M Shantanagoudar.
“It is an extremely serious matter… these cases concern the entire country. We would take a very serious view of how investigations and trials proceed,” said the bench insisting on a high-level monitoring committee when Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand submitted that the government was getting the cases investigated by an Inspector General-rank official as head of the SIT.
The three-member SIT comprising two Inspector General-rank IPS officers and a judicial officer was set up by the Ministry of Home affairs in February 2015 to scrutinize total 650 cases registered by the police in connection with the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in1984.
In the last two years, the SIT has scrutinized 293 cases. In its status report submitted to the court last week, the SIT informed it closed 199 cases out of total 293 cases right away after examining the material on record. These 293 cases re-investigated by the SIT included those closed as “untraced” and others which were cancelled on certain technical grounds.
In the remaining 94 cases, SIT found 59 cases fit for further investigation but at later stage, 38 of them were closed, chargesheets were filed in 4 others while investigation in 17 cases is still pending. Two of the 4 chargesheeted cases were later closed as the accused died.
Rest 35 cases out of 94 cases, investigations have been completed in 28 cases so far.
A total of 3,325 people were killed in the 1984 riots in which Delhi alone accounted for 2,733 deaths, while the rest occurred in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states. The riots took place soon after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards. After trials and prosecution in court, both assassins were hanged to death in 1989.
Long trials, closure of cases and little punishment have been hallmark of cases of riots in the country irrespective of which party is in power at the centre or in state. What is happening with anti-Sikh riot cases in Delhi has happened with various other cases in other parts of the country like Hashimpura killing (Uttar Pradesh), Bhagalpur riot (Bihar) and Gujarat riot and the latest Muzaffarnagar riot (Uttar Pradesh).
