Delhi High Court lists for July plea against acquittal of Sajjan Kumar in 1984 riots case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for hearing on July 22 pleas challenging the acquittal of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the killing of a person during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

A bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, while dealing with pleas by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Sheela Kaur, one of the witnesses, noted that in spite of an earlier order, the trial court record was yet to be requisitioned and asked the registry to comply with the direction.

"Despite the order dated March 15, 2024, the e-TCR (trial court record) has not been received by this court. Registry is again directed to requisition the e-TCR within two weeks from today and the same shall be supplied to counsel appearing for the parties within one week, failing which the registrar concerned shall remain present in court on the next date of hearing," the bench, also comprising Justice Manoj Jain, said.

On September 20, 2023, Special Judge Geetanjli Goel had acquitted Kumar in the case by giving him the “benefit of doubt” and said the prosecution "failed to prove the charge against the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt".

The trial court had also acquitted two other accused — Ved Prakash Pial and Brahmanand Gupta — holding that the prosecution failed to prove the case of murder and rioting against them.

A Sikh man Surjit Singh was killed during the incident in Sultanpuri.

Kumar was accused of various offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc. (Section 153A), abetment of any offence (Section 109), murder (Section 302) and rioting (147).

The riots had broken out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

Kumar is currently lodged in Tihar jail after conviction in another case related to the riots.