Terming as “very unfortunate” the Delhi court verdict acquitting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, senior advocate HS Phoolka, who is spearheading the legal battle for the riot victims, on Tuesday said they would file an appeal. However, the lawyers defending Kumar lauded the judgement and justice had been done.
“This is very unfortunate. The victims and their families are now frustrated. They were not keen on moving an appeal. It was me who had convinced them to carry on their fight for justice,” Phoolka said after Kumar was acquitted while five other co-accused were convicted on various charges.
Phoolka said he would be approaching superior court for filing an appeal against the Tuesday’s judgement. He claimed that “the court has taken a very hyper-technical view”. “How can the testimony of the witnesses recorded by it can be held against five accused and the testimony of the same witnesses is not held against one accused. When the statements of the witnesses are believed regarding the five accused, why they are not believed against KumarIJ” questions the senior counsel when he came out of the courtroom.
“The court has also not seen the behaviour of the Delhi Police from the very beginning. The court has not seen that there were six policemen who deposed in Kumar’s favour. The police have been shielding Kumar since day one,” he added.
Relieved by the judgement, Sanjeev Kumar Singh, counsel for Sajjan Kumar said, “The judgement is absolutely correct. How can anybody accuse a leader for such activitiesIJ leaders never commit murders. We are satisfied by the order.”
IU Khan, another counsel for Kumar said, “I am very happy by the verdict. Justice has been given to Sajjan Kumar because he is innocent. He was falsely implicated. His name appeared only in the year 2000. For 16 years there was no allegation against him.”