SIT probing 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases gets 1 year extension

A Special Investigation Team, set up by the government for conducting a fresh probe into 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases, got an extension of one year.
The SIT, which was set up on February 12 for six months, has been given an extension of one year, a Home Ministry official said.
Senior IPS officer Pramode Asthana heads the three-member SIT which comprises Rakesh Kapur, a retired district and Sessions Judge, and Kumar Gyanesh, Additional DCP with the Delhi Police.
As mandated under its terms of reference, the SIT is re-investigating all serious criminal cases of anti-Sikh riots of 1984 by examining records of all police stations -- Delhi as well as other states -- where the riots had taken place and also examining the findings of the Justice S D Jain and Justice D K Agarwal Committee.

As per its mandate, the SIT will also take appropriate steps under law for a thorough investigation of cases and file a charge sheet in appropriate courts with sufficient available evidence.
Asthana is looking after the day-to-day functioning of the SIT while retired judge Kapour looks after cases which went to court and chargesheeted but did not make any headway. The Additional DCP is probing FIRs which did not make any headway in probe.

The SIT has been constituted following a recommendation of a committee, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (retd) G P Mathur, which was set up to look into the possibility of re-investigation of the 1984 riots.

The committee submitted its report to Home Minister Rajnath Singh in January recommending setting up of an SIT for a fresh probe into the riots that followed assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
A total of 3,325 people were killed in the riots. Of them, Delhi alone accounted for 2,733 and the rest deaths were in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states.