Delhi Cabinet on Thursday recommended to the lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots with a timeframe of one year to submit its report. The terms of reference of the SIT probe were approved in a Cabinet meeting. Police officers from outside Delhi would be entrusted with the responsibility to conduct the inquiry. The final decision will be taken by the lieutenant-Governor and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
According to the Terms of Reference, the proposed SIT would register FIRs which may not have been registered pertaining to the incidents which occurred during the 1984 riots; to reinvestigate the FIRs regarding the riots which may have been closed as untraced. The SIT will also finalise and file chargesheet in court wherever evidences may be available after following the due process of law and also to enquire into alleged destruction of evidence, register appropriate cases and investigate.
“The Cabinet decided that for investigation in the 1984 riots cases, the Government will recommend to the lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung the formation of a SIT. Under the SIT probe, all those cases which were closed or shown untraced would be reopened, reinvestigated and if need arises, fresh FIRs would be filed,” PWD Minister Manish Sisodia said, after the Cabinet meet. “In those cases where investigations have been completed, chargesheets would be filed,” Sisodia said.
However, the decision taken by the Government is being termed as an attempt to woo Sikhs voters in view of the upcoming lok Sabha polls. The move may also help the AAP in the coming Assembly polls in Haryana. A total of 587 FIRs were registered pertaining to the 1984 riots. Even out of these 587 FIRs, 241 were closed by the police as untraceable. Out of the cases which were closed, four of them were reopened and reinvestigated on the recommendations of the Nanavati Commission of Inquiry in 2005 and reinvestigation was conducted from 2006-2009.