1984 riots: Manjinder Singh Sirsa moves HC over report on ‘Kamalnath’s presence’ at crime scene

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court for summoning a police official’s report allegedly mentioning the presence of former Madhya Pradesh Kamalnath during a riot at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib on November 1, 1984 — which claimed two lives.

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The petition filed before Justice Ravinder Dudeja seeks a direction to the government to place on record the report submitted by Gautam Kaul, former ACP New Delhi, with then police commissioner on the presence of Kamalnath at the scene of crime on November 1, 1984.

The high court on January 27, 2022, directed the government to file the status report in the matter. Based on a January 27, 2022, direction of the high court, the Centre filed an affidavit, which reportedly carried nothing on Kamalnath’s role in the incident, the petition said.

Senior advocate HS Phoolka, representing the petitioner, claimed Kamalnath’s presence at the scene of crime was well documented in police records, besides multiple newspapers had mentioned his presence at the place and time of the incident but those aspects were not considered by the government in its status report.

The court posted the application for hearing on November 18.

The petition said two Sikhs — Inderjeet Singh and Manmohan Singh — were burnt alive in the compound of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib by a mob allegedly led by Kamalnath. An FIR was registered against the five accused persons, without naming Kamalnath.

The accused, however, were later acquitted in the case by the trial court, which held the accused were not present at the site of incident.