1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case: Lieutenant Governor nod to Supreme Court appeal against acquittal
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has approved the filing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court's July decision to acquit six individuals accused in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The case involves charges of attempted murder, looting, and rioting in northwest Delhi.
FollowDelhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted approval for the filing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court's July verdict, which acquitted six individuals accused in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The case involves charges of attempted murder, looting, and rioting during the riots in the Saraswati Vihar Police Station area in northwest Delhi.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the prosecution department's delay, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena authorized the filing of the Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's July decision to acquit six accused in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The case involves charges of attempted murder, looting, and rioting during the riots in the Saraswati Vihar Police Station (now Subhash Place) area in northwest Delhi, according to officials.
The six individuals acquitted by the Delhi High Court on July 10 this year are Hari Lal, Mangal, Dharampal, Azad, Om Prakash, and Abdul Habib.
A senior official from the LG secretariat stated that Saxena has approved the Delhi government's home department's proposal to file the SLP in the Supreme Court.Â
"While acquitting the accused, the high court had dismissed the Delhi government’s appeal against the trial court’s verdict, acquitting all the accused. The HC had said that there was no explanation for inordinate delay of 28 years in filing the appeal against the trial court verdict of March 28, 1995, and grounds taken by the state were not justifiable," the official said.
In a similar case, the LG previously approved filing an SLP in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of 12 individuals in another case linked to the 1984 riots at Nangloi police station.
Saxena expressed grave concern over the delay in filing the appeal, stating that such cases of crimes against humanity should be treated seriously. He directed the home department to identify and assign responsibility to officials responsible for the delay and submit a report within seven days.
An official familiar with the matter mentioned that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on the orders of the Supreme Court, recommended filing an appeal immediately after the judgment, emphasizing that it was a fit case for prosecution.
