NEW YORK, NY - Judge Robert W. Sweet of the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York has issued an order setting the pre-trial oral arguments date in case against Congress (I) for their role in November 1984 Sikh Genocide.
The arguments will be heard on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 in Courtroom 18C, US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York. On March 1st summons were issued by the US Federal Court against Congress Party for conspiring, aiding, abetting and carrying out organized attacks on Sikh population of India in November 1984.
According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), on September 21, 2011, plaintiffs will present evidence showing how Congress party planned and organized killing of Sikhs throughout India during November 1984; how Congress party covered the organized and systematic violence against Sikhs and depicted it as anti-Sikh riots of Delhi; and how the killers of Sikhs are being protected by the Congress party for the last 26 years.
The plaintiff's will also present affidavit from a witness who was present in the Congress Party meeting held on October 31, 1984 in which conspiracy and plans to kill Sikhs throughout India was hatched. The meeting, according to the witness statement, was attended by several prominent leaders of Congress party and Chief Ministers of different states, added attorney Pannun. The evidence relating to killing of Sikhs throughout India consists of official figures obtained through RTI showing that in November 1984, Sikhs were killed in the states where Congress was in power.
Attorney Pannun stated that the plaintiffs will present to the court how Congress covered 1984 Sikhs Genocide by forming a Commission in April 1985 under the Chairmanship of a Congress party loyalist Ranganath Mishra, who gave clean chit to the Congress party despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Mishra Commission report laid the foundation stone for the biggest cover up in the Indian History. For this Mishra was rewarded by Congress party by first being appointed as Chief Justice of India and later by nomination as Member Parliament of India.
To prove the clear and convincing involvement of the ruling Congress party of India, the plaintiffs will also present the report of Justice Nanavati Inquiry Commission. Even though Justice Nanavati was completely handcuffed by the political establishment in India which forbid him to investigate acts of Genocide outside of Delhi and naming responsible political leaders as the masterminds behind the Sikh Genocide but still Nanavati report unearthed the pre-planning, police involvement, the use of state infrastructure, and organized method in which Sikhs were killed in November 1984, stated attorney Pannun.
The case against Congress (I) has been filed by "Sikhs For Justice" (SFJ) a US based human rights group along with several Sikh individuals from different states and cities of India who witnessed and survived attacks in November 1984. The class action lawsuit (SFJ v. Congress (I) SDNY (10 CV 2940)) has been filed under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA).
Congress (I) has been charged with "conspiring, aiding, abetting and carrying out organized attacks on Sikh population of India in November 1984". Plaintiffs have asked for a "jury trial" and will have the right to call upon survivors and experts on Genocide as witnesses to prove that systematic killing of Sikhs in November 1984 was Genocide as defined Article 2 of the UN Convention on Genocide.
