New York – A criminal complaint has been lodged against Indian Film Star Amitabh Bachan with Australia’s Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for inciting, participating, conspiring, aiding, abetting and carrying out organized attacks on Sikh population of India in November 1984. Amitabh Bachan is currently in Australia to receive an Honorary Degree from Queensland University of technology-Brisbane and for shooting of Hollywood movie "Great Gatsby" co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The criminal complaint against Bachan has been lodged by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a US based human rights organization; National 1984 Victims Justice and Welfare Society and All India Sikh Students Federation on behalf of widows, victims, and survivors of November 1984 Sikh Genocide.
According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, the criminal complaint against Bachan has been lodged with Honorable Christopher Craigie SC, Director Commonwealth Public Prosecutions, Australia charging Bachan with giving Murderous calls of "Blood for Blood" and "Blood Stains of Indira Ji must reach the home of Sikhs" on October 31, 1984 unleashing widespread, systematic and organized attacks against Sikh population resulting in the killing of more than 30,000 Sikhs in a short span of 4 days across India.
The criminal complaint against Bachan has been lodged under Australia’s "The Criminal Code Act 1995" which provides that Australian courts can have jurisdiction in cases involving crimes against humanity whether or not the offense was committed in Australia (Id. §§ 268.117(1) & 15.4). Justifying the prosecution of Amitabh Bachan in Australian Courts, the criminal complaint states that Bachan’s actions during November 1984 and his role in the killing of Sikhs specifically violate sections 268.8 & 9 of Australia’s Criminal Code Act of 1995.
Under this Act the mere presence of a foreigner in Australia is a sufficient basis for jurisdiction over acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed abroad, thus it adopts a mode of jurisdiction equivalent to universal jurisdiction (see sections 268.117, 15.4 and 16.1 of the Criminal Code), added attorney Pannun.
SFJ is already pursuing legal cases against Indian National Congress and Kamal Nath in the US Federal Courts for their role in organizing systematic attacks on Sikh community throughout India in November 1984.
