1984 riots: Court queries police on destruction of records

Senior officers of Delhi Police were today directed by a city court, hearing a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, to place before it the statutory rules governing destruction of official records of the investigating agency.
The court's directions came while hearing an application seeking prosecution of four Delhi Police officers, including the then ACP, for destroying the records and files of Nangloi case in 1992.
The court was hearing the riot case which was registered in 1991 with regard to the killing of four persons.
"I further direct the DCP (West)/ DCP (Legal) to place before this court the statutory rules governing destruction of official records of Delhi Police relating to Roznamcha A & B including P P P Vihar, road certificate, NCR books, filled inquests, untrace and cancelled files and all kinds of Kalandras.

"I am also informed that some office orders/standing orders are also being issued from time to time as to how the destruction of record is required to be conducted.
"I therefore direct that in case if there were any officer orders/ standing orders issued by the Police Department during the period 1991-1992 so governing the destruction of records, the same be also placed before this court on the next date," Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said and sent the copy of the order to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West)/ DCP (Legal) for compliance.

The court listed the matter for February 7 for hearing arguments and disposing of a plea moved by Special Public Prosecutor B S Joon seeking prosecution of the then SHO Police Station Nangloi Inspector Rampal Singh, SI Dalel Singh, the then ACP Amarender Kumar Singh and the then SHO R S Dahiya.

He alleged in the plea that these four officials were responsible for destroying the relevant records relating to 1984 anti-Sikh riots of Nangloi Police Station which they did deliberately to save the accused in the present case despite lodging of the present FIR on August 28, 1991.
In the riot case registered at Nangloi police station, accused Satpal Gupta, Dalel Singh, Ram Pal Singh and Karan Singh are facing trial while two others, Prem Chand and Ram Niwas died during the pendency of the case.