The Supreme Court has directed speedy trials in 11 Kanpur cases linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Special prosecutors must assist courts to ensure quick disposal after decades of delay.
New Delhi: On Monday, April 28, the Supreme Court of India directed that the trial of 11 cases connected to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, should be completed quickly. These cases had fresh charge sheets filed after a reinvestigation was done.
The Supreme Court showed concern over the long delay in delivering justice to the victims and made it clear that the cases must now move forward without any more unnecessary waiting.
A bench made up of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order. They instructed that the special public prosecutors, who were appointed for these cases, must immediately appear before the trial courts where the matters are pending.
The bench said,
the prosecutors must actively assist the courts so that the trials can be finished as soon as possible. They emphasized that it is important to take “measures for the cases’ early disposal.”
The judges pointed out that,
there had already been an “inordinate delay” in these cases and it was high time that steps were taken to make sure that justice is not further delayed.
They firmly stated that the trial of these cases must be completed quickly and that both the prosecutors and the courts must work together to avoid any more hold-ups.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots were one of the darkest chapters in Indian history, and many families have been waiting for justice for decades. The riots broke out after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and led to large-scale violence, especially targeting the Sikh community.
In Kanpur alone, several incidents were reported, leading to serious allegations of killings, looting, and destruction of property.
Because of the seriousness of the allegations and the delay in bringing the accused to justice, the Supreme Court’s strong intervention comes as a major development. The bench stressed that these matters cannot be allowed to remain pending endlessly anymore.
They underlined the importance of ensuring that trials are conducted fairly but without any unnecessary slowing down of the process.
This latest order from the Supreme Court is seen as a significant step toward bringing closure to the victims’ families who have been waiting for justice for over three decades. It reinforces the Court’s commitment to ensuring timely justice, especially in sensitive cases where delay can mean denial of justice.
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The Court’s direction also acts as a reminder to all legal authorities involved that justice delayed is justice denied. The special public prosecutors have now been given a clear mandate to prioritize these cases and help the courts move them toward a final conclusion.
The case is now expected to move forward much faster with the direct monitoring and push from the highest court of the country.
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