A Special Investigation Team has closed investigations into 51 of 60 cases it had re-opened in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the central government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply to the House, Minister of State (MOS) for Home Hansraj Ahir said that a Special Investigation Team instituted by the central government had scrutinised 293 cases and examined more than 1,000 witnesses.
“Out of the re-opened cases, charge-sheet has been filed in four cases, 51 cases have been closed after conducting further investigation and further investigation in five cases is under progress. The SIT has examined more than 1,000 witnesses in different states in the country,” Ahir said, adding that investigators had to track down the cases to various agencies.
“As the records are very old, they are also in very bad shape. Several records are in Urdu, which had to be translated. Several complainants and witnesses who had to be examined were located with great difficulty because many had moved their homes, some having even emigrated to other countries,” Ahir said.
He said SIT published public notices in 11 leading newspapers in Hindi, English and Punjabi in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Punjab, calling on witnesses to provide any information they could in connection with the cases.
Details of the cases were also uploaded on the Home Affairs Ministry’s website.
“The outcome of the investigation has been conveyed to the complainants or their legal heirs by the SIT. The progress of the work of the SIT is being monitored by the MHA on regular basis,” the minister said.
