The Delhi High Court has fixed September 12 for hearing the appeal of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against a lower court order rejecting his plea seeking further probe in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre in Uttar Pradesh.
Swamy had filed an appeal against the order of a fast track court which rejected his plea seeking a direction to Uttar Pradesh police to investigate further the role of P Chidambaram, the then Minister of State for Home Affairs at the Centre, on the ground that Swamy had no locus in the case.
A bench of Justice V P Vaish, before whom UP government has filed its response, has now fixed the case for hearing on September 12.
Also Read
The High Court had on August 6 last year issued notice to UP government seeking its response to Swamy's plea.
In the appeal, Swamy has sought further investigation saying, "it was admitted on the floor of Parliament by the then Minister of State for Home Affairs P Chidambaram that the situation was calm on May 19 to May 22, 1987. Yet the trial judge states it was violence-strife.
"Hence, even at this late stage, an investigation into this issue is essential for complete justice."
Sixteen PAC personnel are facing trial in the killing of 42 persons in Hashimpura area of UP's Meerut district.
The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Delhi in September 2002 following a petition by the families of the massacre victims and survivors.
A sessions court here had in July, 2006 framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy against all the accused. Three accused PAC personnel have died during the trial.
The trial court had in March last year dismissed Swamy's plea for further probe to ascertain Chidambaram's role in the incident saying he has no locus standi and it is only the police who can move an application (for further probe).
