Delhi HC gives compensation to anti-Sikh riot victim

The Delhi high court has awarded a compensation of Rs7 lakh to a 90 year-old man who lost his young son in 1984 anti-Sikh riots here.

Directing the government to pay the amount within 8 weeks, justice S Muralidhar said "if the payment is not made within time, the government has to pay further 6% rate of interest per annum".

"It appears to be a genuine case where a 90 year-old father has been fighting for justice for the death of his son in the unfortunate incident that took place in Delhi in the aftermath of the assassination of the former prime minister Indira Gandhi," the court said and allowed a petition filed by S Hardayal Singh seeking a direction to government to grant compensation.

According to Singh, on November 11, 1984 his son Arjun was returning home in an oil tanker from Ghaziabad and a mob had stopped the truck driven by a Sikh man and later set the vehicle on fire.

He was denied compensation as there was a delay on his part in registering the FIR. 

"In any event, many of the families of Sikhs were living in fear and could not gather the courage to immediately go and lodge a complaint with the police. Many FIRs remained to be investigated," justice Muralidhar said.