Kandhamal’s long wait for ‘justice’ https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/kandhamals-long-wait-for-justice
The Supreme Court ordered review of 315 cases of communal violence that were filed. The cases are still to be reopened after four years of the ruling
For 56,000 and more Christians of Kandhamal, adivasis and Dalits, there is little solace in the news that a court in late July finally sentenced 30 of the accused to two-year prison terms for their role in the communal violence in 2008. And, oh, the guilty were fined Rs 1,000 each in what newspapers called the “2008 riots” case.
On August 2, 2016, the Supreme Court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Uday Lalit ruled that the quantum and scope for compensation was not satisfactory. They also found it disturbing that offenders were not booked by the police. The Supreme Court ordered review of 315 cases of communal violence that were filed. The cases are still to be reopened after four years of the Supreme Court ruling, which indeed had not set any deadline.
Of special importance is the demand to register cases against state and non-state actors. The role of many leaders of the Sangh Parivar had been documented. The complicity of the police and civil administration was obscenely obvious for all to see.