The Delhi High Court has fixed September 12 for hearing the appeal of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against a lower court order rejecting his plea seeking further probe into the 1987 Hashimpura massacre in Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. Swamy had filed an appeal against the order of a fast track court, which rejected his plea seeking a direction to the Uttar Pradesh police to investigate further the role of P. Chidambaram, the then Union Minister of State for Home, on the ground that Dr. Swamy had no locus standi in the case.
A Bench of Justice V.P. Vaish, before whom the U.P. government has filed its response, has now fixed the case for hearing on September 12.
On August 6 last year, the High Court issued notice to the State government seeking its response to Dr. Swamy’s plea.
In the appeal, Dr. Swamy has sought further investigation saying, “it was admitted on the floor of Parliament by P. Chidambaram that the situation was calm on May 19- 22, 1987. Yet the trial judge states it was violence-strife.
“Hence, even at this late stage, an investigation into this issue is essential for complete justice.”
Sixteen PAC personnel are facing trial in the killing of 42 persons in Hashimpura area of Meerut district.
The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Delhi in September 2002 following a petition by the families of the massacre victims and survivors.
A sessions court here in July, 2006 framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy against all the accused. Three accused PAC personnel have died during the trial.
