Report of the Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry (1984 Anti-Sikh Riots): Volumes I and II

The Ministry of Home Affairs appointed the Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry on May 8, 2000, with Justice G. T. Nanavati (former Supreme Court judge) as its chairperson. The commission released its report in two volumes on February 9, 2005.On October 31, 1984, prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her security guards, both from the Sikh community. This was followed by violent attacks on Sikhs and their properties in New Delhi and other parts of India from October 31 to November 5, 1984. Hundreds of Sikhs were killed and injured, many had to leave their homes and take refuge in relief camps, and their properties were looted on a large scale.On April 26, 1985, the government of India appointed the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission of Inquiry (Justice Mishra was then the Chief Justice of India) to inquire into these incidents of ‘organised violence’, which submitted its report in August 1986. This was followed by the constitution of three committees to investigate specific aspects of the 1984 riots.The Nanavati Commission of Inquiry was established to meet the “…wide spread demand from different sections of the public, particularly the Sikh community for an inquiry into several aspects of [the 1984] violence.” The Commission’s tasks included inquiring into the causes and course of the violence in Delhi and other parts of the country, whether the riots could have been averted and if there were lapses by authorities or individuals, the administrative measures taken to tackle the violence, and “…to recommend measures which may be adopted to meet the ends of the justice.”Volume I of the report covers the commission’s findings and recommendations, and Volume II contains 11 annexures.