File Picture Courtesy : NewIndianExpress
The Supreme Court said it will entrust as many as 186 anti-Sikh riot cases+ from 1984 to a new Special Investigation Team (SIT). These cases, which have not yet been investigated by a Centre-appointed SIT, will be sent for further investigation to a new SIT headed by a retired high court judge.
According to a report by Times of India, SIT will have a serving police officer and a retired DIG-level police officer, the SC said. The apex court took this view after getting a report on the SIT investigation into the 1984 Sikh riot cases from two retired SC judges.
When the Centre constituted the SIT in 2014, a total of 293 Sikh riot cases were entrusted to it. That SIT was to examine the necessity of further investigation into them.
Close to 3,000 people were massacred in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that were sparked by the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
Earlier this month, the SC took on record the final report submitted by a supervisory body appointed by it to look into the closure of 241 riot cases from 1984.
On August 16, the apex court had appointed the supervisory panel to examine the SIT’s decision to close 241 cases in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots matter and asked it to submit report in three months.
The Centre had earlier said that of the 250 cases which were investigated by the SIT, closure reports were filed in 241.
