SC re-opens 186 anti-Sikh riot cases

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would constitute a new three-member SIT, to be headed by a former high court judge, to monitor probe into 186 anti-Sikh riot cases, that followed the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, in which investigations were closed.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the Centre to suggest names today itself for its consideration and appointment in the proposed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said the proposed committee would be headed by a former high court judge and consist of one retired and one serving police officer.

It also made it clear the retired police officer shall not be below the rank of a DIG at the time of superannuation.

The apex court said a supervisory body, appointed by it has found that out of 241 cases, 186 cases were closed without investigation.

The apex court on Wednesday perused the report of the supervisory body which was submitted before it in a leather box with the number-lock system.

The supervisory body, which had submitted the final report, comprised former apex court judges Justice J M Panchal and Justice K S P Radhakrishnan.

On August 16, last year, the apex court had appointed the supervisory panel to examine the SIT's decision to close 241 cases in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots matter and asked it to submit a report in three months.

The Centre had earlier said that out of the 250 cases which were investigated by the SIT, closure reports were filed in 241.

It had said that nine cases were still being investigated by the SIT, while two are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The apex court had on March 24, 2018, asked the Centre to place before it the files about the 199 cases of the anti-Sikh riots which the special investigation team (SIT) set up by the Home Ministry had decided to "close".