Why were senior officers not indicted in Pilibhit probe, court asks CBI

The judge said the manner in which the massacre was carried out clearly showed that senior police officers posted in Pilibhit were issuing directives to their juniors

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge Lallu Singh has asked the investigation agency to explain why senior police officers were not indicted in the infamous massacre of 11 Sikh pilgrims at Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, in 1991.

Singh — in his over 240-page judgment released on Monday — also suggested that the state government reopen the probe into the incident, so that the senior police officers can be formally charged.

“The manner in which the massacre was carried out shows that senior police officials posted in Pilibhit at the time of the incident were issuing directives to their juniors,” he recorded in the judgment.

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The judge observed that even the CBI officer investigating the case had to report to his seniors and take directives from them. “In such a scenario, some important persons connected with the conspiracy were left out of the CBI investigation, and could not be made an accused in the case,” the judgment added.

“I have also come to the conclusion that some senior police officers (posted in Pilibhit at the time of massacre) were also involved in the conspiracy. Therefore, the state must consider launching an investigation against such officers too,” Singh said.

On July 12, 1991, policemen stopped a luxury bus filled with Sikh pilgrims and forced 11 passengers to get off in a densely forested area. The chargesheet said that they were then divided into groups and “killed in cold blood”.