In a major decision, the Supreme Court of India has ordered re-investigation of the cases relating to the unprecedented anti-Sikh riots which broke out late in 1984.

Security forces including trained commandoes entered the premises of the renowned Golden Temple at Amritsar after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the now-famous ‘Operation Bluestar’ to comb Sikh terrorists who had taken shelter at the Temple. Angered by this, a conspiracy was hatched and Indira Gandhi was shot dead at her New Delhi residence on 31st October, 1984 by a couple of Sikh security guards.

This triggered an instant anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in particular and across the country in general. Thousands of Sikh men, women and children came under attack by irate Congress leaders resulting in the massacre of 2,700 Sikhs, most of them were burnt alive in a brutal manner. Sikh women were raped at will and Delhi’s Sikhs at Trans-Yamuna colonies, Suntanpuri, Mangolpuri and Trilokpuri bore the brunt of violence.

The apex court had said recently that it was to ‘review’ the report of a special committee on the 241 cases of atrocities perpetrated against the Sikhs in 1984.  It has now directed that 186 closed cases may be re-opened for re-trial of those cases. The apex Court also constituted a 3-member Committee headed by a former Supreme Court Judge to conduct trial in these cases.