In a significant judicial development, the Supreme Court of India has directed an expedited trial for 11 pending cases connected to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. This directive was issued on Monday by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, emphasizing the need to address the prolonged delays in these cases.
The cases in question were reopened following reinvestigations, leading to the filing of fresh chargesheets. In light of the historical nature of these cases, the court underscored the urgency of proceeding without further delay. Special public prosecutors Kamlesh Kumar Pathak and Ranjeet Singh have been appointed and instructed to make timely appearances in court to ensure swift proceedings.
The bench also addressed a specific issue concerning a 40-year-old FIR that had become illegible over time. The document was sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for restoration. However, the report from the CFSL is still pending, prompting the Supreme Court to order the laboratory to expedite its findings and submit a report at the earliest convenience.
Further complicating the legal process, some of the accused in these cases have managed to obtain a stay on the proceedings from the high court, as reported by the counsel representing the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
The Supreme Court’s decision comes in response to a plea seeking to reopen the investigation into the deaths of approximately 130 Sikhs during the riots that erupted following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. On March 3, the court had permitted the Uttar Pradesh government to engage forensic experts to reconstruct the contents of the illegible FIR, a move that aimed at facilitating the continuation of the trial.
The court also highlighted provisions for the victims’ families, allowing them to engage private counsel to assist with high court appeals against any acquittals. Recognizing the financial constraints that some families might face, the court declared that the district legal services authority would provide capable representation for the victims, funded by a special fee approved by the executive chairperson of the UP State Legal Services Authority.
