The Supreme Court on Monday refused to monitor investigation into the killing of 700 Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir during the peak of militancy in 1989-90.
The bench blamed the NGO representing their cause for approaching the Court after 27 years and dismissed the PIl filed by "Roots in Kashmir" claiming that evidence would be hard to come by at this belated stage.
The petition argued by advocate Vikas Padora stated that about 215 FIRs had been registered by families of those killed but till date no action was taken either by Centre or state governments. The petition sought prosecution of various persons, including separatist leader Yasin Malik for the murders and wondered why no High Court or even Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of the incidents.
A bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud was not convinced to admit the petition due to the lapse of time. At one point, the Court felt that the petitioner was only seeking publicity and went on to dismiss the plea.
Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee the Valley in the early 1990s amid rising threats and attacks during the peak of militancy.