In late July, the Union Home Ministry announced that it had begun to draft a new law aimed at combating communal violence:
This follows the CMP commitment for enactment of a ‘‘comprehensive law’’ against communal violence which will provide for investigations by a Central agency, prosecution by special courts and payment of uniform compensation to victims.
A […]
In his affidavit before the Nanavati Commission, also investigating the 1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India, then Lt. Gov PG Gavai blamed Rajiv Gandhi’s government for delaying the deployment of the Army, thus allowing the massacres to continue without interference:
P G Gavai has blamed the Rajiv Gandhi government for the delay in calling in the […]
Last week, additional director general of police R B Sreekumar filed a 172-page affidavit before the Nanavati-Shah commission (investigating the 2002 Gujarat pogroms against Muslims) that demonstrates the complicity of the police with senior political party leaders in perpetrating the violence:
It cites specific instances of police subversion in controlling the riots and manipulating investigations to […]
For the past two weeks, protestors in Manipur have raised the issue of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and human rights abuses perpetrated by security forces on civilians. The protests began after security forces killed a young woman in detention:
On 11 July soldiers of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force deployed in Manipur to […]
The Supreme Court has ordered senior police officers to review around 2000 cases closed after the 2002 Gujarat pogroms:
The court wants the police to decide whether any of the cases should be reinvestigated…
In its order, the Supreme Court called for the establishment of a cell headed by a senior police official to look into the […]
Last week, we reported that the Supreme Court directed the government of India to explain why it appointed former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) P.C. Sharma to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
In its response, the government pointed out Sharma’s role in the Punjab illegal cremations matter, where the CBI’s investigation has […]
The Supreme Court has decided to move the Bilkis case outside of Gujarat. This case arises out of the gang-rape of 3 and murder of 14 family members of Bilkis Yakub Rasool during the 2002 Gujarat pogroms against Muslims. This move follows in the footsteps of the Best Bakery case, which was the first pogrom […]
The Nanavati Commission, investigating the 1984 pogroms of Sikhs, scheduled its last hearing for August 27. Senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath (currently Commerce and Industry Minister), Jagdish Tytler (currently MP and Minister of State for NRI Affairs) and Vasant Sathe have decided not to cross-examine witnesses who deposed against them, leading to their Section 8B […]
The Indian Censor Board has banned Rakesh Sharma’s documentary on the right-wing Hindu politics of hate in India, titled Final Solution:
The censor board’s letter states: “The film promotes communal disharmony among Hindu and Muslim groups and presents the picture of Gujarat riots in a way that it may arouse the communal feelings and clashes among […]
The Supreme Court directed the government to explain the process it followed in making the controversial appointment of former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director P.C. Sharma to the NHRC:
The court gave the direction to Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati after it was pointed out by Rajinder Sachar, counsel for petitioner People’s Union for Civil Liberties, […]