The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the CBI and Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on a plea filed by the family of the victims challenging his acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Issuing notices to Kumar and CBI, a bench of justices GS Sistani and GP Mittal posted the matter for August 27.
The appeal filed by Jagdish Kaur and Nirpreet Kaur, who had lost their immediate family members in the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has sought setting aside of the trial court's April 30 judgement that acquitted Kumar giving him “benefit of doubt.”
The petition, through advocate Kamna Vohra, contended that the verdict was “erroneous” as the trial court had failed to appreciate that there was ample evidence against Kumar to show he had allegedly “engineered” the murders of five Sikh persons in Raj Nagar area of Delhi Cantonment.
The petition submitted that the trial court had ignored the statements of Jagdish Kaur, Jagsher Kaur and Nirpreet Kaur who were direct witness to Kumar’s presence and “speech of hatred” given by him on November 2, 1984. On April 30, allowing Kumar to walk free in the case, the trial court in its 129-page verdict refused to accept the testimony of Jagdish Kaur that she had seen him instigating a mob with his provocative speech.
The court had acquitted Kumar, a former lok Sabha MP, but convicted Balwan Khokkar, an ex-councillor, Mahender Yadav, an ex-MlA, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari lal and Captain Bhagmal for their involvement in the case.