The Patiala House Courts on Wednesday convicted two accused — Naresh Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh — in the killing of two Sikhs in south Delhi’s Mahipalpur during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Akali Dal leader and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh G.K. welcomed the judgment as a “victory for the Sikh Sangat and the legal cell of the DSGMC, which has been tirelessly working to secure justice for the victims and survivors of one of the most gruesome massacres in the history of modern India”.
He stated that over 200 cases were reopened and submitted to the SIT by lawyers working in the legal arm of the DSGMC.
Despite 11 committees having been set up since 1984, Mr. Singh said there are a significant number of cases that need to be reopened, which have been “conveniently dismissed” by successive governments.
“There were instances where FIRs were lodged by witnesses nine years after the 1984 riots,” Mr. Singh said.
He lauded the efforts of the DSGMC in providing housing and security to witnesses, who travelled long distances to appear in court.
‘Capital punishment’
Mr. Singh added that nothing short of “capital punishment” should be meted out to people who mercilessly went on the rampage, killing thousands of innocent people on grounds of faith. The sentence will be pronounced on Thursday.
