Fresh probe into 1989 Bihar riots

Patna: The Bihar government on Friday formally announced the new probe into the Bhagalpur riots of 1989.

More than a thousand people were killed in in one of the worst communal riots in around the eastern Bihar city.

So gory was the week-long riot that some people actually buried the dead in fields and planted vegetables on top of them.

The majority of those killed in 1989 were Muslims and because of the Indian judiciary's snail's pace, almost all victims' kin are still waiting for justice and compensation.

With this fresh inquiry, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar aims to kill two birds with one stone.

He feels that the victims will get the justice they deserve. He also wants to throw light on Congress government's acts of ommission, something the BJP will find handy.

This will give the BJP ammunition to show that Narendra Modi's was not the only government that was sleeping as the minorities were being burnt alive.

During the Bhagalpur riots, Congress was in power in Bihar and the Opposition had consistently alleged that the official machinery did not do enough to control the violence in the first three days.

The Opposition then included present Congress ally Lalu Yadav.

Riot Facts

• Unofficial estimates say nearly 2000 were killed.

• 886 cases were registered after the riots.

• Only 329 chargesheets were filed.

• Only 52 convictions.