1984 riots case against Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath among seven reopened

NEW DELHI: A case relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots allegedly involving Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has been reopened with the home ministry calling upon all individuals, groups and associations to share any information about it.
The case based on FIR No.601/84 is among the seven 1984 cases which have been reopened. It relates to the claims of witnesses about Nath’s presence among a riotous mob that had laid siege to Rakabganj Gurdwara as part of largescale anti-Sikh violence which broke out in the aftermath of the killing of then PM Indira Gandhi.While some witnesses like Sanjay Suri, then a crime reporter, had claimed Nath was part of the mob, the Congress leader had denied this. The FIR also did not name Nath and trial in the case was closed.
On Monday, Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed Nath had allegedly given shelter to five people who were accused in one of the seven cases.
“Nath was never named in the FIR registered in New Delhi's Parliament Street police station. Five persons named as accused in the case (FIR No.601/84) were accommodated in Nath's residence. All these accused were discharged due to lack of evidence. Since the SIT will reinvestigate this case also, two witnesses will appear before the SIT where they will tell about Nath’s role in the riots,” Sirsa was quoted by PTI as saying.
The witnesses are Sanjay Suri, who now lives in England, and Mukhtiyar Singh, who is based in Patna, he said.
“I have spoken to both and they are ready to appear before the SIT to record their statements,” Sirsa added.
In a public notice put out last month, the special investigation team on 1984 anti-Sikh riots asked all individuals, group of persons, associations, institutions and organisations to contact the officer in charge of the SIT at the respective police stations in Delhi where seven cases sought to be reopened by it were registered. These police stations are Vasant Vihar, Sunlight Colony, Kalyanpuri, Parliament Street, Connaught Place, Patel Nagar and Shahdara.
According to the home ministry notification, the SIT has taken up the discharged cases for scrutiny or preliminary enquiry.
The SIT was set up on February 12, 2015, following a recommendation by the home ministry-appointed Justice G P Mathur (retd) committee.
The three-member SIT has so far re-opened around 80 out of the 650 cases registered in connection with anti-Sikh riots.
A total of 3,325 people were killed in the riots in which Delhi alone accounted for 2,733 deaths.
Delhi Police had closed 241 cases citing lack of evidence. Justice Nanavati Commission recommended reopening of only four cases but the Modi government constituted the SIT for re-investigation of all cases which the probe team would find appropriate.
Last year, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life for his role in the anti-Sikh riots.