Supreme Court Orders Progress Report in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Cases

The Supreme Court has instructed the Delhi High Court Registry to submit a progress report on pending suo moto revision petitions related to the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots. The Court has also set a deadline for the Central and Delhi governments to file Special Leave Pleas against recent acquittals in these cases.

The Supreme Court has issued an order for the Delhi High Court Registry to present a progress report on four pending suo moto revision petitions concerning the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots murder cases. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also mandated the Central and Delhi governments to file Special Leave Pleas (SLPs) challenging various acquittals in these cases, previously dismissed by the Delhi High Court. The hearing for this matter is scheduled for March 25.

This directive comes in response to a plea filed by S. Gurlad Singh Kahlon in 2016, which sought a probe into 51 murder cases during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. Subsequently, the Supreme Court formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Justice SN Dhingra to re-investigate 186 reopened cases from the riots. In a previous session on February 17, the court had instructed that the SLPs to be filed should be presented to the Chief Justice for potential consolidation with Kahlon's plea.

During today's proceedings, the court acknowledged that the Delhi High Court Registry had filed a report in line with the February directive but remarked on the absence of a status report for the four suo moto revision petitions yet to be decided by the High Court. Consequently, the court reiterated its directive for a progress report. The petitioner, Kahlon, was represented by Senior Advocate HS Phoolka and Advocates Amarjeet Singh Bedi, Gaganmeet Singh Sachdeva, and Varun Chugh.

(With inputs from agencies.)