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SOCIETY

The Bench was informed by Mehta ◆ Proceeded with trial of several crimes Justice Dhingra has shortlisted 10
that the records of these cases were that took place at different locations, FIRs where he felt the government
kept in the apex court registry and times together should file an appeal against the trial
these should be returned to the CBI so ◆ No order of separation of trial inci- court’s verdict. Justice Dhingra has also
that further proceedings could go on. dent-wise or crime-wise by trial court named SS Bal, the judge who was exclu-
The Bench directed that the records be sively mandated to try all riots cases in
given to the Ministry of Home Affairs. judges Delhi from 1989 to 1995. “He acquitted
◆ Acquittals handed over by judges all accused in all the riots cases that he
Probe findings to accused of 1984 riots in a ‘routine decided,” he told the news channel.
manner’
◆ FIRs not registered incident-wise his was the eleventh such probe
or crime-wise. Several complaints ◆ Due to protracted trial, victims and body to look into the riots that
clubbed in 1 FIR witnesses were tired of coming to the T ensued after the assassination
courts and most gave up
◆ One such FIR had complaints regard- of then prime minister Indira Gandhi
ing 498 incidents. Only 1 probe officer in 1984, resulting in the killing of over
was assigned Dhingra panel proposals 3,300 Sikhs across the country. Before
the Justice Dhingra committee, a total
◆ Police didn’t preserve forensic evi- ◆ Action be taken against erring offi-
dence for identification of bodies at a cials. SHO case be referred to riots cell
later stage of Delhi Police Justice Dhingra shortlists
◆ Evidence of involvement of then Kaly- ◆ Explore possibility of filing appeals
an Puri police station SHO Survir Sin- along with application for condona- 10 FIRs where he feels the
gh Tyagi in a conspiracy with rioters tion of delay government should file an
appeal against the trial
court’s verdict. Justice
• Violence & deaths As per official data,
Sikh riots had claimed 2,733 lives in Delhi alone Dhingra also names SS
Bal, the judge who was
exclusively mandated to
try all riots cases in Delhi
from 1989 to 1995

of 10 committees, commissions and
teams had been formed to investigate
the 1984 riots.
On SIT report, BJP leader and Union
minister Prakash Javadekar said the
Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed
by retired Delhi High Court judge Jus-
tice S N Dhingra has brought to fore the
truth and said what happened in 1984
was not just riots but the “worst kind
of genocide” against Sikhs. Javadekar
said Congress leaders like the then
prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and more
recently, Sam Pitroda “justified” the vio-
lence with their comments. The report
shows that the hands of the Congress
are with “murders”, he said.
LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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