Govt can’t find reports of three anti-Sikh riot panels

Even as the trials in 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases pick up pace in courts, the reality is that the Delhi government cannot find at least three reports of committees set up to look into the rehabilitation of victims, role of the police and actions against those guilty.

The Delhi government gave this information to the Central Information Commission while responding to a RTI application by activist Suroor Mander seeking copies of reports submitted by as many as seven commissions to address different issues relating to the riots. The applicant also sought the Action Taken Reports on the recommendations of these committees. While the Home Department first sought more time to trace the records, subsequent submissions before the CIC revealed that the department never had several documents.

Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi observed that the Delhi government had initially sent the queries to the Home Ministry, which sent it back, as “presumably” they also did not have the reports. “After that the Public Information Officer at the Delhi Home Department said he could not locate the reports, which must have been produced at a considerable cost to the exchequer. In bits and pieces, they have managed to give some reports and yet the following reports are missing completely — Marwah Commission, Dhillon Committee and Narula Committee,” the CIC noted.

with thanks : Indian Express : link in headline above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia