Centre Cites Flaws in 1984 Riots Trials, Seeks Accountability

by The_unmuteenglish

New Delhi, 28 January 2025: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday that records indicate trials in several 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases were conducted in a manner leading to acquittals rather than convictions.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre and Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan that appeals against acquittals were dismissed due to delays.

She pointed to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by former Delhi High Court judge S N Dhingra, constituted by the top court on January 11, 2018, to re-investigate 186 cases linked to the riots.

“The SIT recommended appeals in several cases, but delays in filing these appeals led to their dismissal,” Bhati mentioned, referencing the latest status report from Delhi Police.

Bhati stated that of the eight appeals filed by Delhi Police, some were dismissed by the Delhi High Court, with others upheld by the Supreme Court.

She acknowledged the flaws in the trials, adding, “The records make it evident that many trials resulted in acquittals due to how they were conducted.”

The Centre was asked by the bench to clarify why certain acquittals were not challenged at the appellate level.

The Supreme Court noted its inability to trace the Centre’s status report and deferred the hearing to the following Monday.

The plea, filed by Gurlad Singh Kahlon and represented by advocates Amarjeet Singh Bedi and Gaganmeet Singh Sachdeva, seeks the implementation of SIT recommendations.

On December 20 last year, the court instructed the Centre to submit a fresh status report on the progress of 1984 anti-Sikh riots trials. The riots erupted in Delhi following then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards and claimed 2,733 lives, according to the Nanavati Commission report.

Of the 587 FIRs registered in the capital, 240 were marked as “untraced,” and 250 led to acquittals.

The SIT and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revisited some of these cases decades later, leading to developments such as the May 2023 chargesheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler.

The CBI alleged that Tytler incited and provoked the mob that attacked the Pul Bangash Gurdwara in Delhi’s Azad Market area on November 1, 1984.

The attack led to the gurdwara’s destruction and the deaths of three individuals—Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Guru Charan Singh.

While significant progress has been made, including reopening cases and prosecuting influential figures, victims and their families continue to await justice nearly 40 years later.

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