Anti-Sikh riots cases to be re-investigated

New Delhi [India], Jan 10 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a re-investigation of 186 cases that were closed earlier by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The Apex Court, which would set up a fresh three-member SIT to look into the matter, will tomorrow pass orders regarding the names of retired and serving Indian Police Service (IPS) officers who could be included in the committee.

The SIT had been constituted by the Union Home Ministry in February 2015 to reinvestigate "serious cases" during the 1984 riots that followed the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, claiming a total of 2,733 lives in Delhi alone.

Last year in April, the court had reopened five cases in connection with the matter that were closed in 1986.

The CBI had also filed appeals against the acquittal of Kumar and life sentence to ex-councilor Balwan Khokhar.

The Delhi High Court had taken suo motu cognizance as, during the course of the arguments, Kumar's lawyers mentioned these matters as precedents since co-accused Mahender Yadav, Balwan Khokhar and Kishan Khokhar had been acquitted in them.

The court had noted that the eyewitnesses had not been examined in those cases and there was a "travesty" since the investigation was not done properly.

Earlier, the apex court had also directed the Centre to deposit more than 190 files in connection with this case.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had told the Supreme Court that the SIT in as many as 263 cases had no case files and there was no trace of any victim or witness.

On February 20, the Centre had filed a status report in the top court on the investigation conducted by the SIT into anti-Sikh riots cases. (ANI)