GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 24th Oct. The Delhi High Court has denied the state’s request to appeal the acquittal of three individuals involved in a 1984 Sikh riots case, citing a delay of over 27 years. On October 21, a bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma acknowledged the tragic loss of life and property during the riots but emphasized that such a significant delay in the prosecution’s appeal could not be overlooked.
The prosecution sought “leave to appeal” and requested the court to condone a delay of 10,165 days in challenging the trial court’s acquittal, which was issued on July 29, 1995. However, the court ultimately dismissed this request, stating, “Considering the long delay and the decisions of the coordinate bench in similar cases, upheld by the Supreme Court, the delay is not liable to be condoned. Thus, leave (to appeal) is not liable to be granted.”
The prosecution argued that the Justice S N Dhingra Committee, established in December 2018, had examined the cases related to the violence and, following the committee’s report in April 2019, conducted internal reviews to process the appeals.
The riots, which erupted in Delhi after the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, resulted in widespread violence against the Sikh community, leading to major casualties and property loss.
Comments are closed.