Government sets up SIT set up to probe 1984 riots

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) The government Thursday set up a Special Investigation Team for fresh investigation into serious criminal cases relating to 1984 anti-Sikh riots, it was announced here.

In a series of tweets, the official Press Information Bureau said that the committee will be headed by IPS officer Pramod Ashthana and will submit its report in six months.

"Govt. constituted Special Investigation Team for investigating/re-investigating the cases of 1984 riots."

"SIT will re-investigate the appropriately serious criminal cases files in Delhi in connection with 1984 riots and have since been closed," the PIB tweeted.

It said the SIT will file a charge sheet against the accused in the proper court where after investigation, sufficient evidence is found available.

"SIT shall examine also the files of Justice J.D. Jain and Shri D.K. Agarwal Committee for a thorough investigation of criminal cases," the PIB said.

It said that while Ashthana will head the SIT, Rakesh Kapoor and Kumar Gyanesh will be its members.

The SIT has been constituted following a recommendation by Justice (retd) G.P. Mathur panel.

The panel, in its report submitted to the home ministry last month, had favoured reinvestigation in cases where crucial evidence may have been overlooked.

The riots followed assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and over 2,700 people are estimated to have been killed in Delhi. There was violence in other parts of the country also.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Shiromani Akali Dal have demanded re-investigation into anti-Sikh riot cases.

The 49-day Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi had also announced a SIT to reopen and investigate cases which were closed by police and were never sent for trial to the court.