In a recent development, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has given the green light to file an appeal in the Supreme Court contesting the Delhi High Court's decision to acquit six individuals in connection with a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Alongside granting approval, Saxena criticized the Prosecution Department and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government for what he perceives as a negligent delay in filing the appeal.

The case in question involves charges of attempted murder, looting, and rioting in the Saraswati Vihar Police Station area (now Subhash Place) in North West Delhi during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, triggered by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The individuals facing charges are Hari Lal, Mangal, Dharampal, Azad, Om Prakash, and Abdul Habib.

Following approval from the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, the Delhi Home Department is gearing up to submit a Special Leave Petition (SLP) to the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's decision made on July 10, 2023. The High Court had previously dismissed the government's appeal against the trial court's verdict, leading to the acquittal of all the accused.

The High Court's judgment highlighted an unexplained delay of 28 years in filing the appeal against the trial court's verdict, issued in March 1995. The court deemed the reasons provided by the state for the delay unjustifiable, contributing to the dismissal of the government's appeal. The Delhi Lieutenant Governor scrutinized the sequence of legal proceedings and pointed out a delay of over two years between the approval to file an appeal in December 2020 and the actual filing in 2023.

Expressing serious concern, Saxena emphasized that cases involving "crimes against humanity" are being handled casually, resulting in significant delays in filing appeals. He stressed the gravity of such avoidable delays and called for strict measures against officers responsible, underlining the need for accountability in dealing with cases of this magnitude.

Saxena has instructed the Home Department to identify officials accountable for the delay in filing the appeal before the Delhi High Court and submit a report within one week. This move aligns with his previous actions, as he had earlier granted approval for a petition challenging the acquittal of 12 individuals in another Anti-Sikh Riots case registered at Police Station Nangloi.