Nanavati Commission

The Nanavati Commission was a one-member commission of inquiry into the November 1984 killings of Sikhs. On 10 May 2000 the NDA government appointed retired Supreme Court judge G. T. Nanavati to examine the causes of the violence, the sequence of events, and whether any authorities or individuals were responsible. It was due to report within six months. Its 339-page report came in February 2005 and was tabled in Parliament on 8 August 2005, a day before the legal deadline, together with the government's Action Taken Report.

What it found

• Jagdish Tytler: "credible evidence" that "very probably" he had a hand in organising attacks on Sikhs. The commission asked the government to look into this. Tytler denied it and resigned as a Union minister soon after the report was tabled.
• Sajjan Kumar: "credible material" against him in South Delhi, with a recommendation to re-examine the cases in which witnesses had accused him and which had been closed without chargesheets.
• Dharam Dass Shastri: credible evidence of involvement. He died before any charge was filed.
• Kamal Nath: the commission found his explanation of his presence at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj on 1 November 1984 "vague", but said that "in absence of better evidence" it could not conclude that he instigated the mob. Kamal Nath says he did not lead or control the crowd.
• Delhi Police: it said they "remained passive and did not provide protection to the people." The Tribune reported that it found no evidence that Rajiv Gandhi or other top Congress leaders organised the attacks.

What the government did

The Action Taken Report read "very probably" as meaning the commission was not absolutely sure of Tytler's involvement, and declined action on him and Sajjan Kumar. On 27 October 2005 the Centre referred ten cases to the CBI: seven against Sajjan Kumar, two against Tytler and one against Shastri. On 11 August 2005 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Rajya Sabha, "I bow my head in shame," and apologised to the Sikh community and the nation. He said the report's findings were "in the realm of probabilities."

How it was received

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti rejected the report, saying the community had lost faith in such commissions. The Shiromani Akali Dal called the Action Taken Report "mere eyewash." National Commission for Minorities chairperson Tarlochan Singh called the report a letdown. The scholar Uma Chakravarti called it a "damp squib."

Key moments

• 10 May 2000: commission appointed.
• February 2005: report submitted.
• 8 August 2005: tabled in Parliament.
• 11 August 2005: Manmohan Singh's apology.
• 27 October 2005: ten cases sent to the CBI.

Where it stands today

The report is the main official finding on who organised the November 1984 killings in Delhi. The CBI cases against Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler followed the Centre's referral of cases to the agency after it.