Union Home Ministry forms three-member SIT to probe 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases mainly in Delhi and other States.

• Members: Three-member SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch. It will have retired district and sessions judge Rakesh Kapoor and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police Kumar Gyanesh as its members.
• Function: Newly-constituted SIT has been empowered to examine afresh evidence in cases which had even been closed. It will also look into all serious criminal cases relating to the riots, examine evidence and even re-open cases and file charge sheets in the courts concerned.

Three-member SIT has been given six months to complete its work, including filing of charge sheets in nearly three-decade old cases.
Background

• The SIT is constituted for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases on the recommendation of government-appointed committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice G.P. Mathur.
• G.P. Mathur committee was constituted in December 2014 to look into the possibility of re-investigation of the 1984 riots and had submitted report to Union Government in January 2015.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2015