Sikhs For Justice v. Bachchan - Actor Sued For Rule in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots in India PDF
Sikhs For Justice v. Bachchan - Actor Sued For Rule in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots in India PDF
Sikhs For Justice v. Bachchan - Actor Sued For Rule in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots in India PDF
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Babak Pourtavoosi, Esquire, SBN 216287
Law Offices of Babak Pourtavoosi PC
Of counsel to Pannun The Firm, PC
75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 170
Jackson Heights, NY 11370
(718) 672-8000; Fax: (718) 732-4514
[email protected]
Attorney for Plaintiffs
Q ORIGINAL
UNITED STATES
CENTRAL DISTRIC
DISTRICT COURT
OF CALIFORNIA
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SIKHS FOR JUSTICE, INC. "SFJ"
On behalf of deceased and injured
Member of Sikhs community;
BABU SINGH DUKHIYA, on his own
behalfand on behalf of deceased and injured'
Family members; and
MOHINDER SINGH, on his own behalf
And on behalf of deceased and
Injured family members
Plaintiffs,
CVU-08297M&}
Civ No
AMITABH BACHCHAN,
a national and citizen of India
Defendant.
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
- 1
COMPLAINT
A CIVIL ACTION
CLASS ACTION
JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
F,\iJ
OCT l T ?n!A
Cle- '.!S D;sirictCout
COURT 4612
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1. Plaintiffs, on behalf ofthemselves, tieir deceased family members and all
others similarly situated who were victims of or related to the victims of
"Sikh Genocide of November 1984'
hereinafter referred to as "The Sikh
Genocide of 1984" which is popular
Sikh Riots of 1984" (collectively "Plaintiffs"), as and for their complaint
against the Defendant inthis action respectfully allege as follows
I. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
2. In the year 2013, the Defendant possessed a major role in a famous
y and purposely misnomered as "Anti
Americanmovie "The Great Gatsby'
Hollywood film industry located witjiin
made, sponsored and released by the
in the territorial jurisdiction of this
court. The movie which won 2 Oscar awards was co-starred by Leonardo
DiCaprio and was produced by Warner Bros.
3. On October 31, 1984 after Indira Gandhi the then Prime Minister of India
and head of ruling Congress party was declared dead at All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Defendant Amitabh Bachchan, raised the
slogans "Sikho ne Indira Ji ko mar dal
la" ("Sikhs have killed Indira");
ko" ("Kill these bastards , they are
traitors"); 'khoon ke cheentay Sikhoi|i ke ghar ghar tak puhnchanay
'Maro Saalon ko, desh ke ghaddaron
chahiyay'" ("the blood stains should reach the households of Sikhs") and
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
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"khoon ka badla khoon" ("blood for
blood"). Hearing defendant Bachchan's
call for violence against Sikhs, otherwise shocked and numb crowd
immediately reacted violently towards Sikhs present in the crowd and started
beating them.
4. "Blood for blood" slogan raised byEachchan turned into "Ebola Virus" as it
was instantly pickedby the crowd and India's state owned TVStation "Door
Darshan" and All India Radio started telecasting slogans of "Blood for
Blood" resulting in the killing of moi[e than 30,000 Sikhs across the country
during the next few days.
5. Telecast of slogans by the state owned
media callingfor violence against
for Democratic Rights (PUDR) and
Sikhs was reported by People's Union
People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) intheir report "Who Are the
Guilty" stating that "[w]e were also intri
iguedto find Doordarshan (the State-
allowing the broadcast of highly
khoon' (blood for blood)."1
controlled Indiantelevisionnetwork)
provocative slogans like 'khoon ka badla
1"Who Are The Guilty" AReport of ajoint
the riots in Delhi from 31 October to 10November
finding team jointlyorganised [sic] byone
(PUDR) and people's Union for Civil Liberties
investigations from November 1to November
the attacks on members of the Sikh
period, far from being a spontaneous
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
-3
inquiry into the causes andimpact of
1984 PUCL - PUDR A fact-
people's Union for Democratic Rights
(PUCL) in the course of
10, has come to the conclusion that
Community in Delhi and its suburbs during the
expression of"madness" and of popular
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6. The slogans calling for blood of Sikhs coined and raised by defendant
Bachchan a day earlier outside AIIMS instantly became so popular that they
were also raised by the crowed at Teen Murti on November 1during Indira
Gandhi's burial.
7. Defendant Amitabh Bachchanwas considered by many in Indiato be an
iconic legenddue to his movie star roles in Bollywood and also known for
his personal appearances on the government-owned All-India radio and
television networks. He was generally liked and well known in such
capacities during the 1980's. When he spoke, his words were like a plagued
virus spreadingwildly without end aid the people listened and moved at his
beckon call. That notoriety and fame
was used in what has become known
as "The Sikh Genocide of 1984" foil :>wing the assassination of Prime
Minister Indira Ghandi, a woman who Defendant revered as a "mother
figure" and with whomhe had close :ies to her family, to excercise,
facilitate, and proliferate the murders
"grief and anger" at Mrs. Gandhi's assassination
authorities, were the outcome of a well org
deliberate commissions and omissions by
at the top and by authorities in the administ
http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-comnliunalism/2003/who
2See "Who Are the Guilty" at ibid.
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
of countless thousands. Since then to
as made out to be by the
inised [sic] plan marked by acts of both
important politicians of the Congress (I)
ation.
are-guilty.htm.
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the Sikh community, Defendant Amitabh Bachchan became known as the
"butcher" because his words had lee
members of a primarily peaceful rel
to the slaughter of over 30,000
gion, Sikhism. Defendant's words and
anti-Sikh propaganda were like venom being spit out of acobra poisoning
the minds andhearts of all they touched
8. Reach, magnitude and consequences
Sikhs was aptly reported by Hindustan
showing 16 states of India where
1984.
PUBLISHED BY:
THE HINDUSTAN TIMES. NEW .
of Bachchan's call for violence against
Times in itsNovember 1984 report
Sikhs were targeted during November
DELHI
NOV 1, 1984
SOURCE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NEWSPAPER RM
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
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9. Perils caused by Bachchan's call for
violence against Sikhs continue to be
unearthed even after more than two decades. Starting with the 2011
discovery of Mass Grave of Sikhs in
village Hondh-Chillar, District Rewari,
states of India including additional
Haryana, the evidence located in sev jral
nine (9) Gurudwara ruins in Delhi,
Gurgaon, Stateof Haryana; ruins of
Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir
trass cremation site in Pataudi and
Sikh localities in West Bengal, Uttar
the gravity, span, compass and
spread nature of the attacks initiated
exposes
specially organized, identical and wide
ciscovery coming twenty-six years after
enocide of Sikhs that tookplace
of the cover up that began all those
by the call given by Bachchan. This
the fact is evidence not only ofthe g<
throughout India at the time but also
years before which continues tothis day.
10. Consequences ofBachchan's venomous slogans for Sikh Blood can be seen
even today in doomed "Widow Colony
Delhi. Originally known as "Tilak ViHar
", a locality of Indian Capital New
, "the widow colony" is almost
ch men who were killed in "The Sikh
entirely inhibited by widows of the S
Genocide of 1984" and where hardships
persist continuously as a result of thos
were set in motion by the call to violence given by Bachchan
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
struggles, and extreme poverty
5dreadful and unlawful events, that
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1l.The defendant was at the time ofNovember 1, 1984 heavily involved in
politics in India and was aknown supporter and long-time family friend of
Rajiv Gandhi, the son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who took the office
of Prime Minister immediately after the assassination of his mother and
became the youngest person to hold that office as well as a scion of the
politically powerful Nehru-Gandhi family associated with the Indian
National Congress (I) party.
12.In the same year of the assassination
of Indira Gandhi, Bachchan, mostly
ging the death of Ms. Gandhi, was
certainly as a reward for his role in a]/en
nominated as Congress party candidate in general elections and he won a
seat on the 8th Lok Sabha (the Parliament
of India) by one of the highest
of India. This also shows the
victory margins in the election history
popularity and influence that Bachchan
to direct violence against Sikhs. This
in instigating and inciting the killing bfSikhs during November 1984
13.Sikhs are a religious minority in Indie
and are largely residing in the Indian
enjoyed at that time which he used
was after his egregious and active role
, a Hindu majority -controlledcountry,
state of Punjab. In 1984 the ruling
Congress (I) party with Indira
party in the center was the Indian National
Gandhi as the leader and Prime Minister of the country
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
-7
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14.0n October 31, 1984, Prime Minister Gandhi was shot by two of her own
body guards who happened to be Si^hs.
15.Almost 24 hours later, on November
Sikhs began in India and particularly
almost unhindered to November 4, 1
Sikh men, women, and children were
1, 1984, an organized targeting of
the capital New Delhi which continued
?84. In the four day carnage, 30,000
killed in New Delhi alone while
thousands were left maimed, woundejd
and Sikhtemples were ransacked, locked
300,000 Sikhs were displaced.
16.From November 1, 1984 till about
raped and burnt. Shops, properties
and torched. As a result, more than
November 4, 1984 over 30,000 members
ofthe Sikh community were ruthlessly
maimed, and subject to both theft and
included places of worship. The attacks
thus genocidal innature targeting merfrbers
did not ignore the cries of innocent
killed, butchered, burnt alive, raped,
destruction of private property that
were inherently discriminatory and
of the Sikh religion in India and
men, women, and children who were
either killed orbattered and abused beyond
recognition. Groups were formed
e violence that was initiated bythe
Amitabh Bachchan.
during rampages of looting andincish
words of one man, that is the Defendant
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
-8
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17.lt is noteworthy that the news of the
attack on Prime Minister Gandhi did not
bring any immediate peril on Sikhs but rather, almost 24 hours later after a
smear campaign against Sikhs was
initiated by Defendant, a systematic and
of the Congress (I) party began to
virtue of any means available. There are
organized effort on part of the leaders
eradicate the Sikh population by
living witnesses who tell of personal
Bachchan chanting on the radio and
observations of the Defendant Amitabh
in
personwith slogans of hate, fear,
and in effigysigningthe death
-filled and murder-consuming,
Bachchan quickly spread like
dozens of cities throughout the entire
rtually
anger, bloodlust, and vengeance vir
warrants of thousands of Sikhs. The
hate
vengeful propaganda of Defendant Anitabh
the plague throughout New Delhi and
country ofIndia. During the melee, people were instigated, provoked,
organized and then given arms and ammunition to kill Sikhs in New Delhi to
avenge the death of Prime Minister Gindhi
During the four day rampage,
Delhi alone, hundreds of women were
more than 30,000 Sikhs were killed in
gang raped, hundreds of homes were
were attacked and burnt to the ground
18.The individual plaintiffs are victims
witnessed the atrocities first hand and
looted, and scores of Sikh Temples
and survivors of the massacre who
lad lost family members, friends, and
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
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loved ones killed during those events. The organization plaintiff, Sikhs For
Justice, Inc. ("SFJ") is a U.S.-based iuman rights organization dedicated to
achieving justice for the Sikh population who suffered during the
aforementioned 1984 events in India
19.Moreover, on October 31,1984, the ,lay before the massacre, the defendant
raised the slogans "khoon ka badla khoon se lenge" ("Blood for Blood") and
"Blood Stains of Indira Ji must reach
popularly aired on Indian radio.
20.This unleashed widespread panic due
the home of Sikhs" which were
to a following systematic and
organized series ofattacks against the Sikh community that ended with the
deaths ofmore than 30,000 Sikhs in z. short span of4days all across India.
2Lit is well known that the defendant us^d his "Super Star status" to incite
violence against Sikhs.
22.The defendant's political ties to the Gandhi family shielded him from bein:
investigated and prosecuted during the last three decades
23.The mass killing of Sikhs, tantamount to an attempt at genocide, was widely
reported in the world press and was widely condemned by the western
nations and international media, including the media of India. One article
published by the Hindustan Times ofNew Delhi on November 1, 1984
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
- 10
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shows a cartoon map of the Indian
thousands of innocent Sikh men,
of the chaos that erupted from the ca
Amitabh Bachchan . The map
subcontinent drenched in the bloodof
numerous cities and places in India vfhere
specifically Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir.
Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh
Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Kerala, Orissa, andTripura to name a
PUBLISHED BY:
THE HINDUSTAN TIMES. NEW-
women, and children who died as a result
1of violence given bythe Defendant
pinpoints, highlights, and calls attention to the
the Sikhs were massacred,
, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana,
Maharastra, Uttar Pradesh,
amil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat,
few. The map appears below:
DELHI
NOV 1, 1984
SOURCE: LIBRARY OF CO]
JGRESS NEWSPAPER RM
Complaint
SFJ, et al. v. Amitabh Bachchan
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24.This is acivil action for compensato y
defendant Amitabh Bachchan for vi
Ejectment
REAt*PffOfgRSrcM
240Tortsto Land
rj 245 TortProduct
Liability
[J 290All OtherReal
Property
TORTS
PERSONAL INJURY
Q 310Airplane
315 Airplane
Product Liability
r-, 320 Assault, Libel&
LJ Slander
330 Fed. Employers'
Liability
fj 340Marine
345 Marine Product
Liability
350MotorVehicle
355 Motor Vehicle
Product Liability
360 Other Personal
Injury
362 Personal Injury-
Med Malpratice
365 Personal Injury-
Product Liability
367 Health Care/
Pharmaceutical
Personal Injury
Product Liability
__ 368 Asbestos
I I Personal Injury
Product Liability
wwsm
At 2 Naturalization
ication Arjpl
465 Other
Immigration Actions
TORTS '
PERSONAL PROPERTY
38:0 Other Personal
Property Damage
385
ER PETITIONS IISONERPEI
Habeas Corpus:
[J 463Alien Detainee
510 Motions to Vacate
Sentence
530General
535DeathPenalty
Property Damage
Prfjduct Liability
540Mandamus/Other
550Civil Rights
r1 555 Prison Condition
560 Civil Detainee
LJ Conditions of
Confinement Bankruptcy
4; 2 Appeal 28
"158 U!C
3 Withdrawal 28
157 use
flVILWGHTSjgg
"FORFEITURE/PENALTY
625 Drug Related
LJ Seizure ofProperty 21
USC 881
690Other
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