Reports of three Commissions'' probe into 1984 riots missing!

New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI)

The reports of three commissions which investigated various aspects of 1984 anti-Sikh riots are missing, indicates an RTI reply.

The Home Ministry, Delhi Government and Lok Sabha could not locate reports of Marwah Commission, Dhillon Committee and Narula Committee, following which the Central Information Commission has directed the Delhi Government to provide an affidavit that these reports are not with it.

An RTI application seeking reports and related documents of seven commission and committees, which probed the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, was filed before the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The secretariat forwarded the application to Home Ministry on the "presumption" that it might be having the reports. The Ministry told the applicant that reports are more than 25 years old and cannot be traced in the record rooms and sent the application to Delhi Government for replying.

In the process, they could locate "in bits and pieces" four reports but reports of Marwah Commission, Dhillon Committee and Narula Committee could not be traced.

The Delhi government also refused to provide one of the traced reports-- Kapur-Mittal Commission -- saying it was marked "secret" and cannot be given because of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.

The applicant Suroor Mander then reached the CIC which directed the Delhi Government to disclose the Kapur-Mittal Commission report and issued a show-cause notice to the official for citing wrong reasons for denying information.

"As regards the Marwah Commission, Dhillon Committee and Narula Committee reports G S Patnaik, Home Secretary (Delhi Government) will provide an affidavit to the appellant before 10 October 2010 certifying that these reports are not with the Delhi Government," Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said.

Taking strong exception to the disappearance of the reports, Gandhi said they were "produced at considerable cost to the public exchequer."

"It appears that a number of commissions...given reports which have not delivered any justice to the victims and yet these reports cannot be located," he said.