Chandigarh, October 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the authorities in the State of Punjab are required to decide the claims of the “1984 anti-Sikh riots victims” in a time-bound manner.

“It is imperative upon the authorities to consider their claim in a time-bound manner,” a Division Bench of the high court has asserted, while setting a four-month deadline for the Ludhiana and Mohali deputy commissioners to verify the claims of the “riot victims”.

The ruling came on three separate petitions filed by Mohinder Singh and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents. Taking up the petitions, the Division Bench of Justices Surya Kant and RP Nagrath asked the deputy commissioners to recommend their claims for the benefits under the government policy to the “competent authority”, if they were found to be genuine “riot victims”.

Going into the circumstances leading to the filing of the petitions, the Bench said the grievance of the petitioners was that their status as victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was not being determined by the Deputy Commissioners of Ludhiana and Mohali, “keeping in view the decision of this court dated September 14, 2010, passed in the case of Kuljit Singh and others versus State of Punjab and another”.

The Bench observed that the order was upheld by the Division Bench on February 15, 2011 in the case of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority versus Kuljit Singh and others.

The Bench added the petitioners “are said to have represented the authorities several times, including vide representation dated May 15. Suffice it would be to observe that if the petitioners are found to be bonafide victims of the 1984 riots, they shall be entitled for some benefits under the Government Policy.

“Hence, it is imperative upon the authorities to consider their claim in a time-bound manner. In these circumstances and without expressing any views on merits of the petitioners' claim, we deem it appropriate to dispose of this writ petition with a direction to the Deputy Commissioner to verify the petitioners' allegations, keeping in view the above-stated decisions of this court. The needful shall be done within a period of four months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order.”