SC calls out lax prosecution in 1984 riot cases

Over four decades have passed, but for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, time has not dulled the wounds of injustice. The Supreme Court’s remarks on Monday questioning the Delhi police’s laxity in prosecuting cases — especially their failure to challenge acquittals — highlight a troubling reality: justice for the victims remains elusive. Out of the 650 registered cases, charge-sheets were filed in only 362 cases, and convictions secured in a mere 39. The rest — more than 300 — resulted in acquittals, many unchallenged by the prosecution. The apex court’s observation that “prosecution must be carried out seriously, not just for the sake of it” underscores a decades-long pattern of neglect. When the Justice Dhingra Committee – which was set up following a PIL filed by former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee member Gurlad Singh Kahlon — found in 2020 that several investigations had been derailed, there was a flicker of hope for accountability. Yet, even now, the appeals against acquittals seem more perfunctory than purposeful.

For survivors, the trauma is not just about the horror they witnessed but also the systemic betrayal that followed. Statements given in court paint a grim picture — families torn apart, homes burned and a justice system that remains indifferent. The Supreme Court’s intervention offers a chance to correct past wrongs, but will it amount to real action? The Delhi police’s excuse of “lack of evidence” after nearly four decades is an indictment of their own inefficiency, if not complicity.

Justice cannot be an afterthought or a delayed formality. The court’s scrutiny must translate into concrete steps — proper legal representation, fresh investigations where needed, and, above all, an unwavering commitment to ensuring that the guilty do not walk free. Until then, the victims of 1984 will continue to wait for a closure that seems forever out of reach.
(Tribune, India)