New Delhi: In a significant move, the Supreme Court has reiterated its call for the Maharashtra government to expedite the implementation of its previous directives related to the 1992 Mumbai riots. The apex court’s bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjwal Bhuyan, expressed their dissatisfaction with the Maharashtra government’s lack of progress in complying with the court’s judgment from November 4, 2022. The directives include compensating the families of those who went missing during the riots, resolving pending cases, and instituting police reforms.
The bench has specifically instructed the Maharashtra Director General of Police and the Secretary of the state Home Department to closely examine the recommendations made by the Justice BN Srikrishna Commission and to submit an “improved compliance” report. The state government has been given a deadline of July 19, 2024, to present a more comprehensive report on the steps taken to fulfill these directives.
The hearing on the suo motu petition concerning this matter has been scheduled for July 26, 2024. One of the critical issues highlighted by the bench is the need to address the housing shortage for the state’s police force. Currently, there are approximately 2.30 lakh police personnel in Maharashtra, and the court has emphasized the government’s responsibility to provide adequate housing units for them.
Justice BN Srikrishna, who was then a judge at the Bombay High Court, was appointed by the state government on January 25, 1993, to lead a commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. The commission was tasked with investigating the circumstances, events, and immediate causes of the riots that ensued in Mumbai following the demolition of a contentious structure in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on December 6, 1992.
The Supreme Court’s judgment underscored that the state government had accepted the commission’s recommendations in 2022. The court has now issued a series of directions to ensure that these recommendations are implemented without further delay, reflecting the judiciary’s commitment to bringing closure to the long-standing issues arising from the tragic events of the Mumbai riots.
