Srikrishna panel report: Maharashtra to set up special courts

The Maharashtra Government on Monday decided to set up special courts to deal with "around two dozen serious cases" mentioned in the report of Justice Srikrishna Commission, which probed the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh assured a delegation of Muslim organisations and NGOs, which met him at the Mantralaya (state secretariat).

Satisfied, the organisations said that they would postpone their proposed August 20 rally to seek speedy implementation of the nearly decade-old report.

"We are postponing the rally to October 25 following the chief minister's assurance," filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who was part of the delegation said.

"We told Deshmukh that of the 253 total cases mentioned in the Srikrishna report, around two to three dozens were serious ones as they deal with offences under Section 302 (murder) of IPC," said social activist Teesta Setalvad.

Deshmukh told them the government was "very serious" on the issue and would write to the High Court for setting up three to four special courts to deal with the serious cases and also appoint special public prosecutors.

Sources in the Chief Minister's Office said the proposal to set up special courts would be sent for the Cabinet approval, after which, the government would write to the High Court.

Deshmukh also assured the delegation that stringent action would be taken against newspapers publishing inflammatory articles. He assured us the government would monitor such newspapers, Setalvad said.

The special courts would also deal with cases which are not mentioned in the Srikrishna report or in police records, sources said. There may be a couple of such cases, they said. Deshmukh, who is under pressure to act on the panel's findings, has already directed the Law and Judiciary Department and police to probe lapses in implementation of the report. He has also submitted a status report to the Congress high command. The report had indicted several politicians and police officers for their role in the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots, which claimed at least 900 lives.

The Shiv Sena and the BJP have warned of agitation if the riot cases are re-opened.