NEW DELHI: Orders have finally been communicated to Delhi Police to register and investigate cases against Congress leaders HKL.Bhagat. Sajjan Kumar and others for their alleged role in the anti- Sikh riots of November, 1984 in the Capital.
This has been done nearly two weeks after Lt. Governor P.K.Dave, waited under Central pressure, and stalled his own earlier orders.
Chief Minister M.L.Khurana told reporters last week, that the orders were communicated to Delhi Police by Home Secretary Anil Baijal the previous evening. “Congress leaders figure in eight cases to be registered.” Khurana said.
It may be no coincidence that the offer was sent to Delh Police around the time Karunakaran Committee announced that a complete overhaul of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) was in the office.
Several Congress leaders, including Sajjan Kumar, are now trying to out- do each other in their bid to replace Bhagat as DPCC president.
Last week also saw Sikhs of the city protest Central moves to stall orders for registration of riot cases. Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and some senior police officials figure in 21 cases recommended for registration by the Jain-Aggarwal committee, one of the many panels which probed the riots which followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
The Narula Committee, an advisory body appointed after the BJP came to power in Delhi, was also of the view that immediate action be taken on cases recommended by the Jain Aggarwal committee.
According to Khurana, Delhi Police has been directed to register eight cases “involving political leaders” inquire into 11 other cases; and turn over the remaining two cases “involving police officials, including one who has since been promoted to a senior post” to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Delhi Police has finally been told to act on the orders. Everybody knows how the orders, after being issued twice, were stalled. It is rather unfortunate that cases recommended by Jain-Aggarwal committee were sent to CBI in the first place. CBI never acted on these and ultimately returned bundles of documents. But all that is over now,” Khurana declared.
He did not forget to emphasize that with this, BJP had ept an election promise. “the party had stated in its manifesto that cases connected with the 1984 riots would be registered and victims provided justice. We are keeping our word,” he said.
Orders to Delhi Police were stalled almost immediately after Khurana announced on April 22 that Dave had directed Home Secretary Baijal to ensure these 21 cases were acted upon. An angry Khurana then disclosed that Dave had stalled his own orders. He had charged that the Center was trying to delay sending the orders to the city police.
As Raj Niwas sat on the order, Delhi Akali leaders and Gurdwara representatives protested and even Janata Dal joined the chorus. Janata Dal leaders Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Viresh Pratap Chaudhary threatened a party demonstration outside the residence of the Union Home Minister and a full-fledged agitation thereafter if the orders were not communicated to Delhi Police.
With the orders being dispatched to police headquarters, decks have been cleared for registration of cases against Bhagat and Sajjan Kumar, Narula committee in its first set of recommendations to Khurana had suggested that the charge by widow Anwar Kaur against Sajjan Kumar be changed from section 153-A IPC to 302 IPG (for murder), and the same be communicated to CBI.
This February, Khurana had taken up the matter with Pilot, asking him to ensure CBI registers the cases.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 13, 1994
