New Delhi, February 23
A local court today came down heavily upon the CBI for its failure to arrest 1984 anti-Sikh riot accused and senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. The court issued fresh non-bailable warrants against Sajjan Kumar and asked the CBI to ensure his presence in the court on March 10, the next date of hearing.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Lokesh Kumar appeared unconvinced with CBI counsel’s explanation that the bureau failed to arrest the Congress leader despite four raids since the court had issued NBW against him and other co-accused.

“I am satisfied that their (Sajjan and others) presence cannot be secured unless coercive method is applied,” the court said. On February 17, the court had issued NBW against Sajjan Kumar and others. But the CBI failed to produce any of the accused, except Girdhari Lal, an accused in a riot case at Delhi Cantonment.

However, there was some relief for Sajjan Kumar when the judge accepted the closure report filed in another case during the riots - a case in Mongolpuri, northwest Delhi - as the victim Harbinder Kaur failed to appear in the court and raised no objection against the closure.

The court was dismissive of CBI claims that the bureau conducted four raids at different places to arrest the accused, including Sajjan Kumar, but only Girdhari Lal could be arrested. “Is this the manner in which the premier investigating agency is working? Why were efforts not made in the night hours when there was a high probability of the accused being present in their homes? It seems the CBI is not interested in investigating the matter,” the court said.

CBI counsel YK Saxena tried to explain that the accused are absconding and deliberately hiding, senior advocate IU Khan appearing for Sajjan Kumar refuted the charges. “We are not absconding. I am not concealing any of the facts and only waiting for the Delhi High Court order on the bail plea of my client and others,” said Khan. The high court reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea of Sajjan Kumar and other accused yesterday.

Terming the arrest of Girdhari Lal as a catch of a small fish, the court said the investigating officers (IO) of the cases were not serious about arresting the accused and that their role was suspicious. The CBI had filed a chargesheet against Sajjan Kumar and others in two cases for allegedly instigating mob after the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.