US Federal Court Summons Kamal Nath in 84 Anti-Sikh Riots Case

On the ground of a case filed by a Sikh outfit, a US federal district court has summoned Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath for his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, said media reports.

The petitioners, who filed the case under the Alien Torts Claim Act, sought compensatory and punitive damages for a number of charges including crimes against humanity, degrading treatment and wrongful killing, reports said.

Nonetheless, Nath, who is incidentally on visit to New York at present, expressed shock saying he was ‘surprised and appalled’ as the case has been filed 25 years after riots in India, said reports.

“I really have no clue about it. I don’t have a basis and I don’t know the authenticity. I don’t know the validity. It was for the first time that I saw it,” he was quoted as saying when asked to comment on the case.

The court served a notice on Nath, asking him to respond to it within 21 days failing which it would give a default judgement on the matter, reports said.

The minister said that he would have to study the matter further, said reports.

“A piece of paper was given to me. I will have to see what the piece of paper is all about,” he was quoted as saying.

Nath stressed that he had never been charged in any court and questioned why these allegations were being raised more than two decades after the tragedy and that too in a foreign land, reports said.

“Nobody has ever charged me in India. But if the United States charges me 25 years later for something that has happened in India…well it just reflects on the authenticity,” he was quoted as saying.

“For the last 25 years I wasn’t involved…suddenly in 2010 I get involved…There was nobody who stood up and said that he was a victim or that I was in any way connected. So I’m surprised and appalled,” the minister was quoted as saying.

The case was filed two Sikhs, Jasbir Singh and Mahinder Singh on behalf of the New York based organization, Sikhs for Justice, reports said.

Their attorney Gurpatwant Pannun claimed Jasbir lost 24 members of his family and Mahinder, who was two-years-old then, lost his father, said reports.

“In India it is impossible to hold human rights violators,” Pannun was quoted as saying.

Reports quoted the Sikh group as saying that they were acting now because they had given up hope for action to be taken in India.

“We waited for all these years because commissions were being set up…there was hope but because of his position Kamal Nath has successfully avoided justice for 25 years,” Pannun was quoted as saying.

(Based on internet reports)