New Delhi, India (December 3, 2013): The Delhi high court on December 02, 2013 sought responses from the Centre and Delhi government on a plea filed by families of 1984 anti-Sikh violence victims seeking compensation for the death of their kin. A bench of justices P. K. Bhasin and V. P. Vaish issued notice to Centre and Delhi government for December 12.
“Neither the state (Delhi), nor the Centre are before this court. Issue notice to them. Reports be filed by the next date of hearing,” the court said. The bench also asked the government to inform them about the steps taken for “victim compensation” scheme.
The notice was issued on a plea filed by the November 1984 massacre victims’ family members who contended that the trial court had failed to compensate them.
The appeal filed by Jagdish Kaur and Nirpreet Kaur, who had lost their close relatives in an organized genocidal violence against Sikhs following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, also sought setting aside of the trial court’s April 30 judgement, saying it failed to appreciate the legally admissible evidence in its verdict.
Counsel for the petitioner, H. S. Phoolka, argued that Supreme Court in its recent verdict had said, “It is mandatory for every court to apply its mind on granting compensation to the victim. “The Supreme Court had said though it is not necessary to give compensation but court should consider it.”
The case deals with the death of five Sikhs – Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh – who were members of the same family. Kehar and Gurpreet were the husband and son respectively of complainant and eyewitness Jagdish Kaur while Raghuvender, Narender and Kuldeep were the brothers of Kaur and another witness Jagsher Singh.