SIT concludes probe of 1984 anti-Sikh riots

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up on the directions of the Supreme Court to probe cases connected to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has completed its investigation, the central government told the Supreme Court on Friday.

Additional solicitor general Pinky Anand, representing the Centre, handed over the report prepared by the SIT to the court in a sealed cover and requested the court to discharge the team. The apex court took the report on record and adjourned the case for two weeks.

The three-member SIT was constituted in January 2018 pursuant to the order by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on a plea by petitioner Gurlad Singh Kahlon. The SIT was tasked with probing more than 190 cases in which closure reports had been filed earlier.

The SIT was headed by former Delhi high court judge SN Dhingra.

Subsequently, one member of the SIT, retired Indian Police Service officer (IPS) Rajdeep Singh declined to be part of the team. The court had then given permission to the SIT to function with two members, justice Dhingra and IPS office Abhishek Dular.

Appearing for the victims of the riots, senior counsel HS Phoolka on Friday opposed discharging the SIT without the court examining the team’s report. He also asked for a copy of the report to be provided to him.

Anand said the report had been presented in a sealed and only for perusal by the court.

The court did not pass any order discharging the SIT. The matter will be taken up for hearing after two weeks.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots broke out after the assassination of Indira Gandhi by two Sikh bodyguards. Thousands of Sikhs were killed in the riots in which Delhi was the worst hit city.

In December 2018, the Delhi high court convicted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar for his role in the riots and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

His appeal is pending in the Supreme Court.