New Delhi: Adequate efforts were not made to examine key prosecution witnesses in the five 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases in which the Delhi high court issued show cause notices to those acquitted asking them why re-trial should not be ordered, the Supreme Court said on Friday
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra perused the records and said summon was issued to the main prosecution witness only once during the trial and upon non-appearance, the recording of evidence was closed.
The bench, also comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, was hearing the appeal of former Delhi MLA Mahender Singh Yadav against the high court order of March 29 last year by which show cause notices were issued to him and other acquitted persons in five anti-Sikh riots cases.
Besides Mr Yadav, similar notices were issued to 10 other acquitted persons including former councillor Balwan Khokhar on the complaints filed regarding rioting incidents on November 1 and 2, 1984 in Delhi Cantonment area.
The court had earlier sought their responses as to why the said cases, in which the accused were acquitted, be not re-opened and re-tried.
“Let this matter be listed for final disposal on March 21,” SC said.
