NEW YORK : A federal court in New York has given Indian Congress President Sonia Gandhi until January 2, 2014, to respond to charges by a pro-Khalistani group that she allegedly shielded, protected and rewarded the perpetrators of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, according to a press release issued by “Sikhs for Justice. “
The group, “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ), filed an amended class action complaint on December 4 in US Federal Court against Mrs Gandhi, with specific instances of impunity, promotions and party tickets to Congress leaders and police officials who committed “genocidal attacks on the Sikh community during November 1984,” the press release said. The SFJ complaint invokes the court jurisdiction over the case based on Alien Tort Statute and the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1992.
giving the survivors of human rights abuses the right to sue the perpetrators in the US.
The 38-page complaint demanding a jury trial of Sonia Gandhi alleges that her “acts and omissions were deliberate, wilful, intentional, wanton and malicious and should be punished by an award of compensatory and punitive damages”.
While SFJ claims that the court summons were served on Sonia Gandhi through hospital and security staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York on September 9, Gandhi’s attorneys had challenged the service of summons.