Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has been summoned by Los Angeles Federal Court for allegedly instigating violence against the Sikh Community in 1984 riots. The court has directed Bachchan to respond in 21 days after he is served with the summons.
There is a big problem in store for megastar Amitabh Bachchan, it seems. His alleged past statements have become a noose around his neck which is now getting further tightened. Following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, India erupted in riots against Sikhs in 1984.
The victims Babu Singh Dukhiya is based in Delhi and Mohender Singh is based in California.
Running into 35-pages, the complaint alleges that Bachchan instigated people for violence after the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
In the past several years, SFJ has unsuccessfully tried to drag several Indian leaders to US courts in the alleged human rights violations cases.
A prime witness in 1984 anti-Sikh riots had said that superstar Amitabh Bachchan provoked the rioters in 1984 as his statement was telecast by the national TV Doordarshan.Jagdish Kaur, then 42, had seen her husband and son being murdered in cold blood by a frenzied mob inside her house in Palam Colony (West Delhi) on November 1st 1984.
“I wonder why no one in India lodged case against Amitabh Bachchan for provoking killing of Sikhs,” said Jagdish Kaur, prime witness in 1984 anti- Sikh riots .
She said, “I watched live relay on Doordarshan and saw Amitabh Bachchan raising his arm and shouting the slogan, ‘khun ka badla khun sae laengae’ (Blood for blood) two times. “
In 2011,a US-based Sikh human rights group lodged a criminal complaint against Bachchan in Australia for instigating and abetting 1984 anti Sikh riots. Australia’s ‘Criminal Code Act 1995’ states that Australian courts can have jurisdiction over cases involving crimes against humanity irrespective of whether the offense was committed in Australia or not.
While a federal court in New York has issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 2011 for allegedly shielding and protecting the leaders of her party who are accused of being involved in the anti-Sikh riots in India in 1984.
