ICC Note: The Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court recently stated that the number of guilty people that were not brought to justice after the Kandhamal violence against Christians is ‘very disturbing’. The violence that took place in Kandhamal, India in 2008 was the worst instance of violence against Christians that the country has ever seen and a large number of the perpetrators were never prosecuted or convicted. The Chief Justice also stated that the compensation given to the victims of this violence was ‘inadequate’ and has ordered that more compensation be paid to them so that they can rebuild homes and businesses.

08/25/2016, India (World Watch Monitor) – India’s Supreme Court Chief Justice has said it is “very disturbing” that such a “large number” of the perpetrators of the worst case of anti-Christian violence in India’s history – in the Kandhamal district of Odisha (formerly Orissa), eastern India, in 2008 – have not yet been brought to justice.

“Such a large proportion is very disturbing,” said Chief Justice T. S. Thakur, as he delivered his verdict on a recent investigation into what he called the “inadequate” compensation paid to the victims of the religiously-motivated violence.

The investigation noted that of the 827 criminal cases registered, 315 cases were not pursued, while of the 362 cases in which a verdict was given, “only 78 [trials] resulted in [a] conviction”. Some 6,495 people were arrested, but just 150 cases are still ongoing.

India’s highest court has now ordered Odisha State to investigate “wherever acquittals were not justified on facts”.

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