Centre accepts Dhingra panel report on 1984 riots

Union government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it has accepted the Justice S N Dhingra committee report, pointing out to "connivance" of Delhi Police, the State and prosecution in not filing appeal in 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases.

"We have accepted the report, we will act accordingly," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant.

The Justice Dhingra committee re-examined 186 closed cases. It had castigated the State, the prosecution, and the police for not filing appeals in time. It has directed the State to file appeals in 10 cases by "reconstructing records" as files were destroyed.

Senior advocate R S Suri, appearing for S Gurlad Singh Kahlon of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, said that the report was crystal clear, some appeals must be filed. "Though 25 years after acquittals, it is a tough task," he said.

He said there was a damning report by Justice Dhingra on police officials for their "connivance" in the matter.

Suri sought time to file an application for directions in respect of the report.

The top court had on January 11, 2018, constituted the SIT headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice S N Dhingra. It comprised retired IPS officer Rajdeep Singh and serving IPS officer Abhishek Dular to supervise further probe into the 186 riots cases, in which closure reports had been filed earlier.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the court granted four weeks parole to Balram Khokhar, a co-convict of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, for performing last rites and other rituals on demise of his father.