Delhi High Court asks SIT for statements alleging Kumar’s role in 1984 riots
Kumar was granted anticipatory bail by a trial court on December 21 last year in a case of killing of three Sikhs during the riots which had occurred after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. (File) Kumar was granted anticipatory bail by a trial court on December 21 last year in a case of killing of three Sikhs during the riots which had occurred after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. (File)
The Delhi High Court today asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases to place before it statements of persons alleging Congress leader Sajjan Kumar’s role in the incident. Justice Anu Malhotra asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the SIT which is probing the charges against Kumar, to place the statements of persons recorded by the police and the magistrates during and after lodging of the FIR in the riots cases.
It also directed the ASG, who today sought dismissal of Kumar’s bail, to provide the copy of these statements to the counsel for the Congress leader and listed the matter for further hearing tomorrow. The ASG claimed that witnesses were not coming forward as the Congress leader was not in custody.
Kumar was granted anticipatory bail by a trial court on December 21 last year in a case of killing of three Sikhs during the riots which had occurred after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The ASG argued before the high court that the trial court had erred in granting the relief to the former MP on the ground of lapse of time.
He said the witnesses and their families as well as the kin of the victims of the riots had fled to Punjab fearing for their lives and it was only now that they were coming forward. Advocate Anil Sharma, appearing for the Congress leader, opposed ASG’s contention, saying the trial court’s order was well reasoned and even after grant of the bail, his client was never called for interrogation.
There are two cases filed against Kumar falling in the jurisdiction of Janakpuri and Vikaspuri police stations in West Delhi. The complaint in Janakpuri pertains to the killing of two Sikhs, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh, on November 1, 1984 and in the other, where another Sikh, Gurcharan Singh, was burnt on November 2, 1984 in the jurisdiction of Vikaspuri Police Station. Gurcharan, who was half burnt, had remained bed-ridden for 29 years. He died three years ago.
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