‘SIT not serious on justice to riots victims’

NEWDELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today alleged that the SIT, constituted by the Narendra Modi government to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases, was not serious about ensuring justice to the victims.

This came a day after the Centre told the Supreme Court that only 22 of the 240 cases had been reopened by the SIT for further investigation.

AAP leader Jarnail Singh said, on February 12, 2015, two days before Arvind Kejriwal took oath as the Delhi CM for the second time, the Centre had ordered the constitution of the special investigation team (SIT). “But, in two years, the SIT could only order reopening of 22 cases. How long will it take to reopen the remaining 218 cases?” he wondered.

In a status report filed before the apex court on the probe conducted by the SIT, the Centre said there was a “considerable progress” and 218 cases were in various stages of scrutiny. It also said a “decision has been taken for re-investigation in respect of 22 cases”.

AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey said this vindicated the party’s stand on the SIT. “The SIT is not serious in ensuring justice to the anti-Sikh riots victims,” he said. Singh, who has contested the Punjab assembly polls from Lambi against CM Parkash Singh Badal and Congress’ CM candidate Amarinder Singh, said if the party came to power in the state, it will also probe the alleged irregularities in the disbursement of money meant for the riot victims.

“Money sent by the Centre for those who fled to Punjab after the anti-Sikh riots was siphoned off. The Punjab government was supposed to disburse the money, but the full amount never reached the victims. We will investigate all these cases if we come to power in Punjab,” he said. PTI