Agniveer dies, 2 soldiers hurt as landmine goes off in J&k
Agniveer Lalit Kumar of 7 JAT Regiment was on patrol as part of area-domination exercises with colleagues when the explosion occurred in the zone lashed by rain in the past few days, official sources said. It was not clear yet where Lalit hailed from.
Havaldar Gajindera Singh and Subedar Hari Ram were airlifted to Army Hospital in Udhampur, around 300km away.
The stretch along the LoC in J&K is dotted with landmines as a part of an Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS). A few stray mines are sometimes washed away by rain and go off accidentally on contact, official sources said.
"WhiteKnightCorps and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Agniveer Lalit Kumar, who made the supreme sacrifice. We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief," the Army's White Knight Corps posted on X.
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Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Delhi High Court Rules Victim Compensation Scheme Not Applicable Retrospectively; 1984 Riot Claim Rejected
New Delhi: In a significant ruling, Delhi High Court has said the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme (DVCS) can't be applied retrospectively, rejecting a plea for compensation by a victim of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Clarifying the legal position, a bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar also noted that DVCS compensation can be paid only in cases where victims have not already received money under other govt compensation schemes. The court was hearing a plea by a family that lost its breadwinner in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination. Avtar Singh, a Sikh, was killed by a rampaging mob in the Raj Nagar area of Palam. The men accused were later acquitted in 1986. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Gold Rates Today in Delhi | Silver Rates Today in Delhi The HC traced the DVCS's origin to Section 357A of the erstwhile CrPC, which dealt with victim compensation. It opined that since the scheme owes its existence to Section 357A, it should apply prospectively. It added that "retrospective application of either the provisions of Section 357A of the CrPC or the DVCS would open the floodgates for all and sundry to rake up old and stale claims seeking compensation, be it for an incident occurring just before the introduction of the scheme or three decades prior, like in the present case." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What does it take to be an air traffic controller in Singapore? CNA Read More Undo While rejecting the compensation claim, HC noted that the complainant, Baljeet Kaur, disclosed in an affidavit that her family had already received a total of Rs 11,90,000 from the govt for the death of her father, Avtar Singh, in the 1984 Sikh riots. "Clause 4 (of DVCS) restricts eligibility for compensation to victims or their dependents who have not been compensated for the loss or injury under any other scheme of the Central Govt or State Govt. This clarifies that the DVCS was formed as an umbrella scheme to provide relief to those victims who have been deprived of compensation through any other scheme or Act," HC noted, after amicus curiae appointed in the matter, Senior Advocate Sumeet Verma, argued that Singh's family is entitled to additional compensation under DVCS. The bench noted that the "incident in question took place in the year 1984, and since then, multiple schemes have been introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India, and later adopted and implemented by state govts, including the Delhi govt. A review of these schemes shows that the total monetary benefit, without indexation, would surpass the upper limit of compensation prescribed under the DVCS. The govt has taken additional initiatives to reimburse the victims for property damage and loss, and skill development as well. " While this case was one of five reopened in 2017 due to a botched investigation into the 1984 riots, the verdict narrowed down on the issue of compensation payable, after it emerged that accused Mahender Singh Manan, also known as Mahender Sharabi, and Ram Kumar, are now dead. However, HC made it clear that its ruling won't exclude any victims affected by the riots who have not received compensation under any schemes from lodging their claims under other existing schemes. The bench directed that such claims be verified by authorities within a period of sixteen weeks of receipt and, if approved, payments be made within a period of eight weeks. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
HC overturns acquittal of four in 1984 riots case, orders retrial of surviving accused
The Delhi high court has set aside a nearly 40-year-old verdict that acquitted four men in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and ordered a retrial, saying the trial was conducted in a 'hasty manner' and that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to make sufficient efforts to collect evidence. (Shutterstock) The case concerned the killing of Harbhajan Singh in Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar on November 1, 1984 — a day after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination. According to his wife, a group of men attacked and set her husband ablaze and also torched their home. In May 1986, a trial court acquitted the four accused of arson and murder, citing contradictions between the woman's statements to police and in court, as well as the delay in filing the complaint. A bench of justices Subramanian Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar took up the matter suo motu after prima facie finding faults in the 1986 judgment and describing the investigation as 'perfunctory'. The issue came up while the bench was hearing appeals in another case from the same locality, in which five men — including former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, ex-MLA Captain Bhagmal, and Girdhari Lal — were convicted in 2013 for the murder of five Sikhs. Among the appellants in that case was Krishan Khokhar, brother of Balwan Khokhar. The court noted that neither the state nor the victims had challenged the 1986 acquittal, but said it could not ignore a flawed investigation and trial, particularly when the verdict was being cited in other appeals. In its verdict delivered on Monday, the bench said the trial court's decision had resulted in a 'miscarriage of justice' to the victim's wife and children, depriving them of their fundamental right to a fair trial. The judges faulted the CBI for failing to trace the victim's body or recover articles stolen from the house. They also noted that investigators did not associate key witnesses with the probe, including the victim's children — who were present at the time — and neighbours. The court rejected the trial court's conclusion that contradictions in the woman's testimony undermined the case, saying there was enough material to support her account. It also said the investigating agency had not taken 'sufficient efforts' to gather the best possible evidence. 'Failure to order a reinvestigation 40 years after the incident would be turning a Nelson's eye to society's needs and the victim's rights to a comprehensive, free, and fair probe,' the bench said. Quoting the amicus curiae, senior advocate Vivek Sood, the court noted that after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, large-scale violence forced widows, children, and residents to flee their homes for safety. This, it said, meant witnesses would not have been readily available for investigation — but that did not absolve the agency of its duty to secure evidence using the powers under the Criminal Procedure Code. 'These errors have resulted in miscarriage of justice… If not rectified, this may result in loss of hope in our legal system and compromise the interests of society,' the bench observed. Sood argued that the acquittal was 'totally perverse' and ignored the scale of violence, property destruction, and displacement suffered by victims. He pointed out that the complainant herself was forced to leave Delhi after her husband's killing and the loss of her home. While the counsel for the sole surviving accused argued that a retrial would serve no useful purpose, the court clarified that the fresh trial would apply only to him. Proceedings against the three other accused have abated due to their deaths. The CBI has been directed to conclude the probe expeditiously, bearing in mind the age of the case. In a separate ruling, the same bench ordered the reconstruction of four-decade-old trial records in another 1984 anti-Sikh riots case from Raj Nagar. That case concerns the acquittal of five men, including Balwan Khokhar, in the killing of four Sikhs. The court said victims' and society's rights to a fair investigation and trial cannot be undermined by missing files or flawed earlier proceedings, and directed the trial court to undertake the reconstruction.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Justice Delayed, Memories Unfaded: Raj Nagar Remembers 1984
New Delhi: In the weathered doorway of his home in Raj Nagar in southwest Delhi's Palam Colony, 81-year-old Sawarn Singh raised his trembling hands, eyes moist as he recreated the final moments of his 26-year-old brother-in-law's life. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "That's how he died," Singh said. "He put up his hands to surrender, but the mob shot him and four others on the spot." 's recent order on a retrial and reconstruction of missing case files from the 1984 anti-Sikh riots has stirred a fragile hope among the few families still remaining in what was once a thriving Sikh neighborhood, where a handful of aging houses stand among the cluster of newly built residences as silent witnesses to a dark chapter in Indian history. A survivor gave TOI directions to the notorious site in Raj Nagar: "There's a gurdwara, take the turn there, stop at the pole." But for her, that pole isn't just a marker — it's where her father was tied and burned alive as the family watched in horror. For Singh, the memories remain razor-sharp four decades later. "I was at work when there was a buzz about Indira Gandhi's assassination," he recalled. "Immediately afterwards, there were anti-Sikh sentiments expressed. I felt this fear in my heart and rushed back home, only to find mob violence had already started." What followed were days of terror that would forever scar this community. Singh describes how families huddled on terraces, lying flat against the concrete, occasionally lifting their heads just enough to peer through railings to see if the rioters were approaching. "We were hiding for our lives, especially the men, because there was a pattern," Singh explained. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The mob was targeting Sikh men and their sons with absolutely no remorse in their eyes, no hesitation or fear in the way they were hunting down people. " Singh credits the presence of mind of his late wife, who passed away earlier this year, with saving his life. When the mob came banging at their door, demanding "Yahan sardar hai?", she boldly answered in the negative. "To prove it, they demanded a photograph. My wife was smart enough to show them a picture of me from when I had gotten a haircut for work abroad before I grew my hair long again," Singh said. "She had hidden all the other framed pictures showing me wearing a turban. " Survival in the neighborhood meant erasing identity. Families burned wedding photos, discarded turbans and shed any visible trace of their Sikh heritage. Harpal Lal Singh, 78, recalled the agonizing choices neighbours had to make. "I remember cutting the hair of two boys with my own hands so they could hide in my house. I can still see how scared they were. Their parents pleaded with us to keep them safe," Harpal said. "The rioters killed our closest friends, the entire community of Sikhs who had settled here from Punjab's Jalandhar." His wife, Parkash Kaur, 73, was sleeping on the terrace with their four-month-old daughter when the mob arrived. "I only remember being frightened for my daughter's life," she said. Dalbir Singh, 71, recalls passing off his sons as girls. "My boys were just 3-4 years old. They had long hair and wore patkas. We removed them, dressed them up in frocks and sent them to the gurdwara in Moti Bagh to seek shelter." Even second-generation survivors carry the trauma. One widow explained how her late husband, whose in-laws faced the riots' brutality, refused to keep any photographs as reminders. "He discarded everything to obliterate any reminders of the past. Maybe some old utensils remain, but no pictures, no memories." There is weary skepticism about the high court's order "Why now and how?" mumbled Sawarn Singh. Dalbir's wife, Balwinder Kaur, voiced the exhaustion of a community that has waited four decades for justice. "We lost track of all documents. Those who initially tried approaching authorities, the widowed women with no resources, what were they supposed to do? Follow up for how long? Do we have to track down every helpless mother or wife who returned to their villages? Maybe some of them aren't even alive anymore. How can we expect justice to be truly served?" The court decision may offer a glimmer of hope, but for families who have spent four decades living with injustice, hope itself is now a fragile, complicated emotion.
