But perhaps the biggest blow to justice was the acquittal of former Joint Police Commissioner R.D. Tyagi, charged with killing nine young Muslim boys in the Suleiman Usman Bakery operation. All nine, says the report, were “shot point-blank and in cold blood”. The police ultimately charged Tyagi, but the prosecution was so feeble that he and eight other accomplices were acquitted by a sessions court judge for lack of substantial evidence.

Not surprisingly, the Shiv Sena has accused Justice Srikrishna of being “biased against Hindus” and many of the khaki offenders have audaciously been promoted to plum posts. But when it comes to covering up, even politicians make faithful bedfellows — so Maharashtra’s ruling Congress government obligingly “disagreed with the conclusions of the commission,” and conveniently buried the report along with its skeletons, for “fear” that it might “re-open old wounds”.

Now, pushed against the TADA court wall by minority ire, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has promised to implement it, nearly a decade later. His healing formula: another committee to “identify the alleged lapses” in the implementation of the Commission’s report. But this, of course, is just another classic eyewash because, if implemented, Srikrishna’s entire exercise will have to be repeated in a court of law — a logistical farce, since prosecuting a government servant requires the sanction of the government.

Yet, India simply cannot afford to ignore the Srikrishna Commission Report. Here’s why:

• Firstly, despite political fears that it may “re-open old wounds”, it will actually complete the cauterisation begun by the bomb blast verdict. Pain is inevitable but is part of the healing process.

... contd.