SIT vigorously pursuing anti-Sikh cases: Jaitley
New Delhi: A day after one convict was sentenced to death for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Wednesday other related cases are being vigorously pursued though convictions will only be a small consolation for the families of victims. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots followed assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi leaving nearly 3,000 people dead.
Terming the 'Operation Blue Star' as a "historic blunder", the minister said the period from 1984 to 1998 was one of cover-up where all cases were buried as though, the 1984 genocide had not happened.
The first NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee appointed Justice G T Nanavati Commission of Enquiry and recommended action against the accused, Jaitley said in a blog. It was again Narendra Modi Government which in 2015 appointed a Special Investigative Team (SIT) headed by Justice G P Mathur, a retired Judge of the Supreme Court.
The SIT detected a large number of cases where the accused were prima facie guilty but even charge sheets have not been filed.
"The case in which Delhi Court yesterday has convicted two people, sentencing one of them to death was prosecuted after decades by this SIT.
"Subsequently, this SIT got subsumed in another SIT headed by Justice S.N. Dhingra, a retired High Court Judge. The subsequent SIT was appointed by the Supreme Court," the minister said.
Jaitley said yesterday justice has been done in one case and there are thousands of such cases which required a similar punishment in 1980s itself.
"Success has been achieved in one case. The Indian society and particularly the Sikh community wants a closure of the horrible memories of 1984.
"We owe to the victims that the other cases suggested by the SIT for investigation and prosecution be vigorously pursued. The same is being done. Such convictions in those residual cases will be a small consolation," Jaitley said. The SIT is investigating nearly 60 cases related to the riots, while it has filed "untraced report" in 52 cases. In the post titled 'The Legacy of 1984', Jaitley said the direct fallout of the disastrous operation in June, 1984 at the Golden Temple was the assassination of the Prime Minister.
"This was one of the most unfortunate and condemnable acts in Indian history. It also indicated a failure of governance. The fallout of this was not anticipated. It proved to be catastrophic," he said.
