Sikhs for Justice relentlessly pursue case.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been issued summons by a court in Los Angeles, California, in an alleged human rights violation case stemming from the anti-Sikh 1984 riots in India.
The court issued the summons on a complaint filed by New York-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), spearheaded by petitioner Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on the basis of two alleged victims of the 1984 riots.
One of the two victims, Babu Singh Dukhiya, is based in Delhi, while the other victim in the case, Mohender Singh, is based in California.
The court has directed Bachchan to respond within 21 days after he is served with the summons.
“If you failed to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for relief demanded in the complaint”, reads the October 27 summons issued by the court.
In an interview to Times TV, Pannun said Bachchan instigated violence through sloganeering against the Sikh community on October 31, 1984, by saying: “Khooon Ka Badla Khoon” (revenge for blood is blood), in retaliation for the murder of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, who was shot dead by her two Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, the same day.
Riots later broke out over several days, and eventually thousands of Sikhs were killed across the country, with New Delhi facing the brunt of the violence.
Reports said that last year, the main witness in the case, Jagdish Kaur, had questioned why Bachchan had not been booked for fueling anti-Sikh sentiments during interviews and TV appearances.
“I watched live relay on Doordarshan and saw Amitabh Bachchan raising his arm and shouting the slogan, ‘khun ka badla khun sae lenge’ (Blood for blood) two times,” Kau said.
Bachchan has, however, stoutly denied the allegations. In 2011, he wrote a letter to the Sikh leadership, the Akal Takht, in which he had denied any role in the riots. Bachchan had pointed out that his maternal grandparents were Sikhs.
Bachchan becomes the latest high profile personality from India to face legal wrangles in the US over lawsuits filed by the SFJ.
In the recent past, the Congress party leaders like Kamal Nath and Sonia Gandhi, and the former prime minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh, have also faced the same ordeal. They have got lawyers fighting out the case in various courts.
Even though summons have not been successfully delivered to those accused for the matter to come to court, many veteran Congress leaders now no longer publicize their visits to the US, and even tend to stay away from casual visits to the country, over fears of being issued summons over their alleged roles in the riots that took place 30 years ago.
Last month, SFJ got summons issued against the prime minister Narendra Modi in a court in New York. However, the US government has clarified that Modi enjoys immunity from any lawsuits in the US as long as he is the head of state. It’s likely that the case against Modi will be pursued once he is out of office in India.
2 Comments
Who the hell is this American court to do with Indian citizens??? How will America do, if similar laws were to be passed by Indian courts? Time that US learnt to recognise Sovereignty of other countries.
Since last 5 decades Americans presidents must be hanged for their human rights violations,inciting wars