New Delhi, January 13
Twenty-five years after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the national capital, the Central Bureau of Investigation today filed two separate chargesheets against former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, blaming him for two of the “murders” during the riots. Twelve others - including Sajjan’s relative Balwan Khokkar - have also been charged for the crimes.
The CBI has imposed charges under sections 302, 153-A, 109, 436, 295, 201, 396, 427, 436, 449 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code in its chargesheet filed in the Special CBI court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja here today. The hearing is slated for January 18 and will be taken by another special CBI court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar at the Karkadooma courts.
The severest of these sections is 302 of the IPC that deals with murder. If convicted, this can lead to either dearth penalty or life imprisonment.
The CBI chargesheet said “….the then MP (Sajjan Kumar) instigated a mob of about 300 to 400 persons to kill and burn the people of Sikh community and to loot and burn their houses..." The action comes less a month after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had assuaged the feelings of the Sikh community while speaking at a debate in Parliament.
Meanwhile, due to lack of evidence CBI separately filed a closure report in a case registered with the Mangolpuri police station in which one person, Dr Iqbal Singh, was killed.
In case of Sajjan Kumar, the chargesheet has been filed in two separate cases registered in the police stations of Sultanpuri and Delhi Cantt following the killing of eight and five persons, respectively, during the riots.
The CBI chargesheeted Sajjan Kumar after it got a formal nod from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna to prosecute him.
Counsel for the families of riots victims, HS Phoolka said, “Out of the total 13 witnesses, 11 have already given their evidences, recorded statements and identified Sajjan Kumar as the person instigating people against Sikhs in these areas and spreading enmity between two communities.”
All three cases were registered on the recommendation of the Justice GT Nanavati Commission in 2005. The panel was probing the sequence of events leading to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.
Meanwhile, outside the court, Narpreet Kaur - the kin of a victim and also a complainant - said, “Justice cannot bring back my father. I have lost him forever. Even today my mother cannot forget that ghastly event which changed our life drastically.”
