Hashimpura massacre: Non-bailable warrant against Ghaziabad SHO for not filing report

A Delhi Court on Thursday issued a non-bailable warrant against Ghaziabad Station House Officer (SHO) for not appearing before it with a detailed report on why the former Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) officials convicted in the Hashimpura massacre case have not yet surrendered.

The Tis Hazari Court further directed Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to appear before it on December 5.

Out of the total 16 former PAC officials who are convicted in the case, only 10 have surrendered before the court as of now.

On November 22, five former PAC officials had surrendered before the court, after which non-bailable warrants were issued against the remaining convicts. 5 more officials surrendered before the court five days later.

In October this year, the Delhi High Court had awarded life imprisonment to 16 former PAC personnel for killing around 42 people of a minority community during a riot in Hashimpura district in Uttar Pradesh.

The bench had also observed that it was a targeted killing by the security personnel.

The High Court had overturned the judgement of the trial court which had acquitted all accused. A major turnaround, however, came when 78-year-old Ranvir Singh Vishnoi, who was posted at the police line during the massacre, produced a police general diary as additional evidence after the case was reopened in the Delhi High Court on the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC) appeal.

As per the details of the general diary, information of PAC jawans, weapons and bullets were sent to the PAC at Pillokhari police post on May 22, 1987, at 7.50 pm.