M A I N   N E W S

Nanavati to probe ’84 riots
From K.V. Prasad
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, May 9 — Former Supreme Court Judge, Mr Justice G.T. Nanavati, will head the commission of inquiry to go into the 1984 riots against Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country.

The commission has been given six months to submit its report to the Central Government from the date of its first sitting.

The six-point terms of reference for the commission is to (a) inquire into the causes and course of the criminal violence and riots targeting members of the Sikh community which took place in Delhi and other parts of the country on October 31, 1984, and thereafter; (b) the sequence of events leading to and all facts relating to such violence and riots; (c) whether these heinous crimes could have been averted and whether there were any lapses or dereliction of duty in this regard on the part of any of the responsible authorities/individuals; (d) to inquire into the adequacy of the administrative measures taken to prevent and to deal with the said violence and riots; (e) to recommend measures which may be adopted to meet the ends of justice and (f) to consider such matters as may be found relevant in the course of the inquiry.

The commission of inquiry shall also look into complaints or allegations that may be made before it by any individual or association in such form and accompanied by such affidavits as may be specified by the commission and such instances which related to terms of reference as may be brought to its notice either by the Centre or the Delhi government or state governments concerned.

The commission may, if it deems fit, present an interim report to the Centre. The headquarters of the commission will be Delhi. The Centre had notified the appointment of the commission on Monday.

In the notification, the Centre said the commission had been appointed as there was demand from different sections of the public, particularly the Sikh community for an inquiry into several aspects of violence, abuse of authority and apathy of the law enforcement agencies and those who were in position to exercise control over them excesses committed and action taken or purported to be taken in the wake of the criminal riots that broke on October 31, 1984, and afterwards.

The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani had said in Parliament during the last session that the Centre was willing to institute a second commission of inquiry into the anti-Sikh riots. The proposal was subsequently cleared by the Union Cabinet.

Earlier, in 1985 the Union Government had appointed a commission of inquiry headed by Mr Justice Ranganath Misra.