Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case has been challenged in the Delhi High Court by members of the victims’ family.
Their contention is that the trial court failed to appreciate the large number of legally admissible evidence against Kumar in its verdict. The appeal filed by Jagdish Kaur and Nirpreet Kaur, who had lost their relatives in the carnage following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, sought setting aside of the trial court’s April 30 judgement.
They contended that the verdict was “erroneous” as it failed to show that Kumar had allegedly engineered the murders of five Sikh people in Raj Nagar area of Delhi Cantonment. They also submitted that the trial court “ignored” the statements of Jagdish Kaur, Jagsher Kaur and Nirpreet Kaur, who were direct witness to Kumar’s presence and speech of hatred on November 2, 1984.
On April 30, allowing Kumar to walk free in the case, the trial court in its 129-page verdict said the subsequent testimony of victim Jagdish Kaur that she had seen him instigating a mob with his provocative speech was not acceptable and believable. The court had acquitted Kumar — a former lok Sabha MP from Outer Delhi — but convicted five others — Balwan Khokkar, an ex-councillor, Mahender Yadav, an ex-MlA, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari lal and Captain Bhagmal — for their involvement in the case.