27 anti-Sikh riots accused acquitted

Sasaram, India - A court here has acquitted all 27 accused in anti-Sikh riot cases of 1984 in Bihar's Rohtas district for want of evidence.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (III) Nand Kishore Sharma while acquitting the accused also rapped the police machinery for its failure to produce the four witnesses, which led to their acquittal.

Repeated reminders

The four witnesses, all policemen, did not turn up on behalf of the prosecution despite repeated reminders issued by the court to the SP office and the legal cell department of State's Crime Department.

Following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, rioters had gone berserk and set on fire a number of shops located on Jhabarmal Gali, Cinema Road on Dehri-on-Sone and GT Road.

The police after arresting 61 anti-socials filed an FIR against them with the Dehri-on-Sone police station on the basis of the statement of the then officer-in-charge K Jha and submitted a charge-sheet against them on February 28, 1985.

Final charges were framed against 28 accused on June 30, 2006, after 21 years and the trial began.

One accused died during the course of the trial and the court on Monday acquitted the 27 accused for want of evidence.

Rohtas Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav told PTI here on Wednesday that the police were looking into the matter and necessary action would be taken against all those responsible for allowing the case to fall through.