Satyendar Jain denies SIT file on 1984 riots is untraceable

The AAP government has denied that file on constitution of the Special Investigation Team to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage is reportedly missing from its home department since March 16, 2015.

Responding to a media query over the missing file, Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain said: “These were just rumours as no such file is missing.”

The circular on the missing file was issued by deputy secretary (home) Ashish Kumar to all departments on January 8. The circular No. F.10/R-68/01/2014/HP-II (Part-II)/220, signed by Mr Kumar on January 7, specified it was being issued with prior approval of the competent authority. The circular said: “It is to bring to the notice of all concerned that a File No. 10/R-68/01/2014/HP-II bearing CD No. 001315833 regarding constitution of Special Investigation Team (1984 Riots), pertaining to Home-II Branch, which was marked to the then Minister of Home on 16-03-2015. Since then the said file is not traceable.”

The SIT for reinvestigation of the 1984 riot cases was set up by the Union home ministry in February last year. The three-member SIT was also empowered to examine afresh evidence in cases which had even been closed.

The SIT had been given powers to look into all serious criminal cases relating to the riots, examine evidence and even reopen cases and file chargesheets in the courts. A senior home ministry official had then said the SIT had been given six months to complete its work, including filing of chargesheets in nearly three-decade-old cases.

The SIT, headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of the 1986 batch, includes Rakesh Kapoor, a retired district and sessions judge, and Kumar Gyanesh, additional deputy commissioner of Delhi police, as its members.

As the BJP-led NDA government’s move to set up the SIT into 1984 anti-Sikh riots was announced at a time when Delhi Assembly polls were to be held, the Aam Aadmi Party, which swept the elections, had termed it as a “poll gimmick” by the saffron brigade.