``The report of the Parekh Commission appears to have gathered dust for almost ten years. We are at a loss to understand why the state has been taking this matter so casually and why we were not informed over all these years the correct position,'' a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice A S Anand commented while hearing a petition on Meerut riots.

The state government had time and again failed to comply with the direction of the Apex Court, first of which was made in 1996 while hearing a petition drawing the court's attention to the riots and other aspects, to file the report submitted by Justice C D Parekh, the bench observed.

``We wish to emphasise that any further lapse or failure to do the needful on the partof the state would invite not only adverse comments from this court but may require the personal presence of the Home Secretary in this court to explain the lapses with a view also to consider the question of starting proceedings for contempt of court by the delinquents,'' the bench said.

The petition filed in 1984 by Fazalur Rehman and others had drawn the court's attention to various aspects of the 1982 communal riots which took place between September six and October 20.

The state government had appointed an inquiry commission headed by Justice C D Parekh of the Allahabad High Court in January 1983 and the commission had submitted its report in November 1988.

The court lamented that due to the non-cooperation of the government in the matter, ``the case still remained in the preliminary stages'' though 14 years have passed since the filing of the petition.

Joint Secretary V K Kharbanda in his affidavit on September 19 this year had informed the Supreme Court that the report was placed before thestate cabinet on August 12, 1998.

``After deliberations, the cabinet has required that some additional information be furnished alongwith the proposal before the cabinet. The necessary information as expected by the cabinet is in the process of collection and the same after consultation with the department of law shall be placed again before the cabinet very shortly,'' Kharbanda stated.