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US court to hear 1984 anti-Sikh riots case on March 29

Dance

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It's a couple of days old

JALANDHAR: A US federal court has granted Congress an extension of 2 weeks to respond to the motion for "Default Judgment" filed by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for its (Congress') failure to defend the charges of conspiring, aiding, abetting, organizing and carrying out attacks on Sikh population of India in November 1984.

Judge Robert W Sweet of the US federal court was scheduled to hear the plaintiff's motion for entry of "Default Judgment" on March 15 but on March 13 attorney Thomas E Lynch, on behalf of the Congress, wrote a letter to Judge Sweet requesting an adjournment of the hearing on plaintiff's motion for a judgment by default so as to allow him time to review the relevant facts and to prepare a response to the plaintiff's motion.


"Jones Day", a law firm with expertise in defending organizations accused of human rights violations has been retained by Congress to defend it against the pending charges of genocidal attacks on the Sikhs in November 1984.

SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun told that on March 2011, when US federal court issued summons against Congress, it retained "Wiggin and Dana LLP" a New York based law firm, which also asked for an extension to respond to Summons but later the law firm withdrew its representation of Congress (I) stating that they were not hired by authorized officials of Congress.

The US federal court will now hear plaintiff's motion for a judgment by default against Congress on March 29, Pannun told TOI. The plaintiff's are demanding that a judgment by default be entered against the defendant Congress and that an evidentiary hearing be scheduled in order to determine the amount of compensatory and punitive damages to be awarded to the plaintiffs.

A class action suit was filed against Congress and union minister Kamal Nath by "Sikhs For Justice" (SFJ) a US based human rights group along with several Sikh individuals who survived attacks on November 1984 under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). The complaint, which was amended on March 2011, sought damages over the genocidal attacks against Sikhs that were carried out throughout India in November 1984 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

However, on March 7 Judge Sweet ruled that plaintiffs must refile claims against Nath. According to the decision of the Judge SFJ failed to properly serve the politician, Kamal Nath, when it filed suit on April 2010. While SFJ had claimed that summons were served on Nath when he was outside the Indian Consulate in US on April 6, 2010 but Nath had countered that he was not served and that no one witnessed him being approached or handed over anything.


US court to hear 1984 anti-Sikh riots case on March 29 as Congress hires US law firm to defend itself - Times Of India
 
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usa is friend of no one, remember that.

This is why I have mixed feelings. I certainly want justice for the Sikhs in 84, and am happy that it is getting looked into. At the same time, I can't help but consider the hypocrisy of all the genocidal governments and groups that the US has supported for geopolitical reasons (like the Libyan rebels recently).
 
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1984 riots: US court gives Cong 2 weeks to respond


New York: A US Federal Court has granted India's Congress party an extension of two weeks to respond to a motion for "default judgment" for its failure to defend charges relating to November 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Judge Robert Sweet, who was scheduled to hear the motion filed by "Sikhs for Justice" (SFJ), a US-based community group on Thursday, granted the extension on a submission by Jones Day, a law firm retained by the Congress.

SFJ has charged the Congress party with conspiring, aiding, abetting, organising and carrying out attacks on Sikh population of India in November 1984 following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards.



Congress party attorney Thomas E Lynch on Monday wrote a letter to Judge Sweet requesting an adjournment of the hearing so as to allow him time to review the relevant facts and to prepare a response to the SFJ motion.

Sweet will now hear SFJ's motion for a judgment by default against Congress on March 29.

However, Sweet has ruled that SFJ must refile claims against Indian Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath for his alleged role in the 1984 as (SFJ) had failed to properly serve the summons on him when it filed the case in April 2010.

Dismissing the complaint without prejudice, Sweet gave the plaintiffs right to refile the charges against Kamal Nath and properly serve the defendant.

The plaintiff's are demanding that a judgment by default be entered against the Congress party and that an evidentiary hearing be scheduled in order to determine the amount of compensatory and punitive damages to be awarded to the plaintiffs.


1984 riots: US court gives Cong 2 weeks to respond
 
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good.

innocent sikhs seeking their freedom from hindu oppression were brutally massarced in the 1980s.

it was nazi style brutality.

i hope the sikhs can one day gain their independence from the ruthless hindu savages.

sikh independence.
 
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good.

innocent sikhs seeking their freedom from hindu oppression were brutally massarced in the 1980s.

it was nazi style brutality.

i hope the sikhs can one day gain their independence from the ruthless hindu savages.

sikh independence.

:hitwall:

Don't you think that's just a little bit of an overstatement?
 
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You have to have knowledge of the US judicial system. Yeah- you can sue anyone, sometimes people take advantage of it making false claims. Most times it used to good. If there was massacre then it must be answered, or else you are no better than Sri Lanka. How binding are these judgments? - well its not on US nationals so go figure.

Now - some others will taunt you here but let's for moment think who they are? One is a country that has 500,000 in jail today with NO CHARGES levied against them, kidnappings and labor camps for its innocent citizens and the other, well , has it judicial scared straight some much that it frees terrorist's every time a case is brought up.
 
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