Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Thursday rejected a plea to withdraw medals awarded to former police officer Amod Kanth and one of his colleagues for their role in maintaining law and order during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the city.

Petitioners Amrik Singh Lovely and Trilok Singh alleged former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kanth and his colleague, the then station house officer of Paharganj police station, were wrongly awarded police medals for gallantry.

They implicated the Sikh community’s members during the riots which followed the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards Oct 31, 1984, the petitioners alleged.

Justice S. Muralidhar said: “The 1984 riots in Delhi have left deep scars on the collective memory of the nation, and especially of the Sikh community. Several commissions of enquiry have been constituted over the years to uncover the truth of the tragic events that transpired in the early days of November 1984, in which thousands of innocent persons were killed.”

“The role of the State machinery has come under critical scrutiny. It is arguable that in the context of a tragedy of such proportions, the state ought to display sensitivity to the feelings of the victim community and be circumspect in hastening to award gallantry medals to the officials of the law enforcement machinery soon after the events. Yet, the scope of judicial review in such matters is limited,” he said, while rejecting the petition.

“Rioters had gathered outside the Paharganj residence of the petitioners on Nov 5, 1984, and had attacked their relatives, but police, instead of arresting the culprits, apprehended them (petitioners) for breach of law and order,” said the petition.

“This court is not persuaded to grant the relief sought by the petitioners. The writ petitions are dismissed with no order as to costs,” ruled Justice Muralidhar.