E/CN.4/1995/91
page 46
Rapid Action Force were made available by the Centre. Army columns also
were deployed to help the Administration to control the riots and restore
normality. Union Ministers and the Prime Minister also visited Bombay.
Persons who lost their lives, received injury and lost property, belong
to various communities and there was a fair share of members of both the
major communities. The State Government ordered a judicial inquiry on
25 January 1993 to inquire into the riots which took place in the area of
the Bombay Police Commissionerate. Justice B.N. Srikrishna, a sitting
judge of the Bombay High Court has been appointed for the inquiry. The
terms of reference include: (i) the circumstances, events and the
immediate causes of the incidents which occurred in the Bombay Police
Commissionerate area in December 1992 and on or after 6 January 1993;
(ii) whether any individual or group of individuals or any other
organizations, were responsible for such events and circumstances;
(iii) the adequacy or otherwise of the precautionary and preventive
measures taken by the police preceding the aforesaid incidents;
(iv) whether the steps taken by the police in controlling the riots were
adequate and proper and whether the police firing, resulting in deaths,
was justified or not; and (v) the measures, long- and short-term, which
are required to be taken by the Administration to avoid recurrence of
such incidents, to secure communal harmony and also to suggest
improvements in the law and order machinery.
10.
Regarding the alleged police inaction, partiality etc. during the
riots, the facts will come out during the inquiry report. In the
meantime the Bombay Police Commissionerate has been completely
reorganized dividing the city in four regions, each headed by one
Additional Police Commissioner. Three posts of Joint Commissioners of
Police in the rank of IGP have been created. One Joint Commissioner of
Police each looks after administration, crime and law and order,
respectively. The Special Branch and the Crime Branch have also been
reorganized and additional posts of officers and men have been
sanctioned.
11.
The Government has disbursed an amount of about Rs. 14 crores to
the next of kin of persons who have been killed and an amount of
Rs. 97 lakhs has been disbursed to the injured persons so far. The
latest position of the number of houses/huts etc. damaged and the
disbursement of assistance is:
Number of houses/huts/shops/
stalls/handcarts affected
Houses
Huts
Shops/stalls
Handcarts
774
23 370
5 544
496
Number of houses/huts/shops/
stalls/handcarts for which
assistance has been disbursed
668
23 369
5 523
356
12.
Thus at every stage the Government of India has demonstrated the
will and the capacity to take remedial steps, as well as protective and
rehabilitation measures, in respect of persons belonging to minorities in
India and to restore amity and harmony among all communities.