1984 anti-Sikh riots: Court indicts Sajjan Kumar in gurdwara burning case

New Delhi, August 23

Calling Congress leader Sajjan Kumar the “principal abettor” in a case related to the burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a Delhi court on Wednesday framed charges against the former MP, paving the way for his trial.

Special Judge MK Nagpal said he was of “prima facie” view that oral and documentary evidence placed on record by the prosecution was sufficient to hold that an unlawful assembly or mob consisting of hundreds of people armed with sticks, iron rods, bricks and stones, etc. had gathered near the gurdwara in Gulab Bagh in the national capital’s Nawada area on November 1, 1984, at around 11 am.

“Accused Sajjan Kumar was also part of the mob and common object of the mob was to put the gurdwara on fire, and burn and loot articles lying therein and also burn and destroy houses of Sikhs situated in the locality, to damage, destroy or loot their articles or property and to kill the Sikhs residing in that locality, in order to avenge killing of then PM Indira Gandhi,” the judge said.

The judge, however, discharged Kumar of the charge of murder under Section 302 of IPC in another case of riots that took place on November 2, 1984, leaving two men — Sohan Singh and Avtar Singh — dead and several others injured outside the Congress office in Uttam Nagar.

While ordering framing of charges in the case related to the November 1 incident, the judge noted Kumar had “prima facie” instigated others in the mob, who remained unknown and could not be identified during the investigation, to achieve the illegal objectives, including burning down the gurdwara.

The court said Kumar was the “principal abettor” at the scene of the crime.