1984 riots: Files of 199 closed cases reach SC

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 25

The Centre on Tuesday presented before the Supreme Court the files of 199 cases relating to 1984 anti-Sikh riots closed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was set up by the Narendra Modi government to re-investigate them.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand told a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that the files had been brought as directed by the court and requested it to proceed with the matter.

However, the Bench directed the Centre to file photo copies of the said 199 cases in a sealed cover and posted the matter for further hearing on August 2. The top court had on March 24 asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to produce the files pertaining to the 199 cases closed by SIT by April 25.

The court is also seized of another petition filed by victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots from Kanpur who have demanded setting up of an SIT to probe murder of over 125 people. Two years after the Narendra Modi government set up an SIT to re-investigate serious anti-Sikh riots cases that had been closed, the SIT has managed to file chargesheets only in four of the 59 cases taken up for further probe.

Almost 3,000 people were killed, most of them in Delhi, in the riots that broke out following former PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination.