By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court issued notices to the central and Delhi governments, asking them to explain the delay in paying compensation to 10 families who are victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots here.
The high court notice came soon after a city court Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to reinvestigate a case of violence and probe the role of Congress leader and former central minister Jagdish Tytler in the riots.
Justice S. Ravinder Bhatt issued notices after the 10 families approached the high court claiming that the central government in its notification in 2006 discriminated between old claimants and new claimants, saying only the former were entitled to the compensation announced earlier.
The central and Delhi governments were asked to file their replies by April 24 next year.
Jitendra Kumar Dhingra, the counsel for the families, argued before the court the discrimination done by the means of the notification issued on Jan 16, 2006 by the home ministry was totally unreasonable.
“This action is unjustified in the light of the principle of natural justice and violation of fundamental rights of the victims of the 1984 riots,” said Dhingra.
“It’s been 23 years after the incident but still we are awaiting the compensation. We have lost our near and dear ones in the riots and since then we are moving from one department to another with the hope of getting a considerable amount,” said Amrit Singh Lovely, one of the petitioners, who lost his father in the riots.
“We are feeling aggrieved due to the negative attitude of the government who declared the compensation for us but have not paid to us,” Lovely added.
The case relates to an incident in November 1984 in the aftermath of the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi when a mob had set afire Gurdwara Pulbangash, killing three people.