Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
On 31 October, the Delhi High Court sentenced 16 former police officers to life imprisonment for killing 42 people belonging to a minority group during the 1987 Hashimpura massacre in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
The high court convicted the 16 former Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel for murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code, and termed the massacre as ‘targeted killing’.
All the 16 convicts have now retired from service.
The high court's verdict came after pleas challenged a trial court's decision to acquit the 16 policemen of charges of murder and other crimes in the case.
The high court, on 6 September, had reserved its verdict on the appeals filed by Uttar Pradesh govt, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and some private parties including a survivor of the massacre, Zulfiqar Nasir.
It had also reserved its judgement on BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking further probe to ascertain the alleged role of then Minister of State for Home P Chidambaram in the case.
(With inputs from PTI)
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