US court to hear 1984 riots case against Cong

New York: A US court is set to hear March 15 a plea for "default judgment" against India's Congress party for failing to defend charges of conspiring, aiding, abetting, organizing anti-Sikh riots in November 1984.

The case will be heard by Judge Robert W Sweet of the US Federal Court in New York, according to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a US based community organisation, which filed a motion before the Court Feb 2 for such a judgement.

The US court had issued summons to Congress party on March 1 last year asking it to file its answer within 21 days in the class action law suit filed under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA).

The US court had issued summons to Congress party on March 1 last year asking it to file its answer within 21 days.

Initially, the Congress party responded to the summons through its attorneys Sabharwal, Nordin and Finkel and asked the court to grant additional time until June 24 to file the answer. But despite receiving the requested extension it failed to file an answer to the charges.

The plaintiffs will ask the court to order the Congress to pay $17.5 billion for rehabilitation of survivors and compensation for the life and property loss claims of more than 35,000 victims in 14 states, SFJ said.

According to SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the plaintiffs will also ask the US Court to issue "Letters Rogatory" for the appearance of Justice GT Nanavati who probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

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