Top court dismisses PILs on Sanskrit, Kashmir 'genocide'

Refusing to pass any directions on a plea seeking probe into the alleged targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir during 1990, the Supreme Court on Friday granted the petitioner liberty to make a representation to the central government.

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and CT Ravikumar refused to entertain the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO titled "We The Citizens". The PIL sought rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus, Sikhs who had migrated after the 1990 exodus. The petitioner had also sought constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the Kashmiri-Hindu genocide.

The plea also sought an investigation to find the prime perpetrators of the genocide. Refusing to entertain the plea, the top Court asked the petitioner to approach the Central government.


In 2017, the Supreme Court had turned down a similar plea seeking probe and prosecution of people involved in the murder of over several Kashmiri Pandits during the height of militancy in the Valley in 1989-90.

In a separate matter, the top court on Friday refused to entertain another public interest litigation (PIL)seeking declaration to make Sanskrit the national language of India. A division bench comprising Justices M R Shah and Krishna Murari observed that the correct forum to raise such a plea is the Parliament and not the Court. The benchobserved, "Why should we issue notice or declare for publicity ? We may share some of your views but the right forum to debate this is the Parliament. It needs amendment to the Constitution". The court remarked that the instant matter was a matter of policy which it cannot alter. The PIL was filed by retired IAS officer and lawyer KG Vanzara.