1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Court awards lifer to three

New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) A Delhi court Saturday awarded
life imprisonment to three persons for attempting to murder
members of a Sikh family here in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and came
down heavily on "contrived inaction" of the police and the
government of the day which led to loss of "priceless lives".

Indicting the Delhi Police, the court said that
"instead of showing their allegiance to the rule of law, our
Constitution and the oath taken by them, a better part of
their course was found toeing line of their political rulers".

Convicts Mangal Sen alias Billa, Brij Mohan Verma and
Bhagat Singh, all in their 60s now, were also fined Rs 6.20
lakh by Additional Sessions Judge Surinder S Rathi after being
held guilty of attempt to murder, rioting, dacoity in Shastri
Nagar, north Delhi.

The court slammed the Delhi police and the government
for its inability to tackle the riots that followed the
assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi on October 31,
1984.

"History would never forgive the police officials who
were at the helm of affairs and the government of the day for
their unprecedented slothful and quiescent role.

"But for the contrived inaction and sluggish response
of Delhi police and the government of the day, scores of
priceless lives and valuable property could have been saved,"
the court noted. PTI