AISSF demands judicial commission to probe anti-Sikh riots

Jamshedpur, March 1

The All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) on Sunday demanded constitution of a Judicial Commission to probe the 1984 riots in Jharkhand.

A delegation of AISSF led by its Bihar-Jharkhand unit President, Satnam Singh Gambhir met the Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghuvar Das here and submitted a memorandum listing its demand.

Gambhir said anti-Sikh violence had taken place in several districts of undivided Bihar including Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Ramgarh, Adityapur (Seraikela-Kharswan), which are now part of Jharkhand, following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

Several Sikhs had been killed in the violence and property damaged in the riots, he said, adding, that 90 members of the community were done to death in Bokaro city alone while several others had either become physically harmed or lost their livelihood.

Gambhir alleged that the casualty figure as per the police record and the government record did not tally.

Out of total 460 cases had been lodged in the state, 129 cases were taken to courts while 130 cases closed, he said.

Gambhir said 13 cases were still pending without any preliminary investigation taking place even three decades after the incident. PTI