Kanpur, June 22 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT), Kanpur Commissionerate of Police and Kanpur Outer Police, have arrested two more accused persons into the Nirala Nagar massacre in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district that took place during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The total number of accused arrested so far has gone up to six now.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, SIT, Balendu Bhushan Singh, said on Wednesday, "We have arrested Amar Singh,61, and one Mobeen, 60, from Ghatampur area in a raid."
Earlier, on June 15, four accused in the Nirala Nagar massacre identified as Yogendra Singh, Vijay Narain Singh, Shafiullah and Abdul Rehman were arrested by the SIT.
The biggest catch Raghavendra Kushwaha, nephew of Shivnath Singh Kushwaha, who was Minister of State during the Congress government, is, however, yet to be arrested.
The police officials said that one of the accused surrendered before the police team as soon as the raids began.
In 1984, Bhupendra Singh and Rakshpal Singh were burnt alive in Nirala Nagar, while Satveer Singh, son of Sardar Gurudayal Singh, was shot dead.
After the formation of SIT in 2019, 31 accused were identified in the case, of which four accused -- Shafiullah, Yogendra Singh, Vijay Narain Singh and Abdul Rehman -- were arrested and sent to jail.
The SIT has completed the investigation of 11 cases and identified 96 accused, among whom 22 have died.
A total of 127 Sikhs were killed in the riots in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by her security personnel.
Nearly, 40 cases of murder, robbery and dacoity were registered, in which 29 were closed by the police with submission of final report.
When the state government constituted an SIT for investigation, 29 cases were investigated again and the SIT got evidence in 14 cases.
The SIT was set up on May 27, 2019, after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the state government in August 2017 on a petition seeking an SIT probe.
The four-member SIT is headed by retired Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Atul. The other members are retired district judge Subhash Chandra Agarwal and retired Additional Director (prosecution) Yogeshwar Krishna Srivastava. Superintendent of Police Balendu Bhushan Singh is its member secretary.
The farmers have been on agitation since August 20 by blocking the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Jalandhar, along with the rail tracks, over their demand for raising the SAP of sugarcane. They have already rejected the hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government last week.
Indian defence forces have employed the best equipment available in the country to locate the wreckage, which includes remotely operated underwater vehicles, handheld navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor and portable transducer, divers propulsion vehicle, multi-beam sonar and submarine rescue unit of the India Navy, an official statement said.
The convicts are Shaik Showkath, 35, Mohd Khalid, 22, Mohd Afroz, 20, Abdul Salman Khan, 20, Shaik Salman, 22, and Mujahid Khan, 20. They are all residents of New Hafeezpet, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
A Northern Railway spokesperson said that due to farmers agitation in Ferozpur division of Punjab, it has cancelled 68 train including two Vande Bharat and Rajdhani each, four Shatabdi Express, one Duranto, and two Janshatabdi Express trains.
According to police, the robbers, coming out of the Amruth Gold and Silver shop after the crime, saw Chandru approach and opened fire at him, fearing he may try to apprehend them or alert the public. One of the bullets hit Chandru on the head and he died on the spot.
The Vigilance Bureau arrested Saini, who retired in June 2018, for cheating, forgery and other offences under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on Wednesday.
