SIT arrests 1 more accused in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case

Kanpur: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, arrested one more accused, a retired supervisor of a multinational company, from Gorakhpur district on Saturday night.
SIT sources told TOI that along with Premu Shukla, who has been arrested from Mamkhor village of Gorakhpur, the names of his two brothers Markandey Shukla and Ram Awadh Shukla, also surfaced in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that broke out in Dada Nagar area of the city.
Premu Shukla's brother Markandey died due to Covid infection while his other brother Ram Awadh Shukla succumbed after a prolonged illness four days ago.
SIT DIG Balendu Bhushan said during the raid conducted on Saturday night, SIT sleuths however managed to arrest Premu Shukla, accused of killing innocent men in Dada Nagar area in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
“In the FIR registered, there were names of his two brothers too, but one among them died due to Covid infection while other due to some chronic illness recently. Accused Premu Shukla has been sent to jail. He will be produced in the court tomorrow”, Bhushan further said.
Till date the SIT has sent more than 37 accused to jail in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases. One of the accused died recently in jail.
Nearly 127 Sikhs were killed in the riots in the city that had broken out in the aftermath of the killing of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984.
In the investigation, witnesses have been found in 14 cases and a charge sheet is to be filed in nine cases.
Of the 94 accused identified by the SIT, 74 are alive and 20 have died. So far, statements of 147 witnesses have been recorded.