1984 riots case: Witness denies being used by Sajjan Kumar's opponents

A man, whose three brothers were killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, today told a court, trying senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, that he was not being used by the opponents of the former Outer Delhi MP.

Jagsher Singh, during cross examination, claimed before additional sessions judge Sunita Gupta that he and his family members were instead supporters of the Congress party.

"It is incorrect to suggest that political opponents of Kumar and Akali Dal office bearers are using me as a weapon against him," he said, adding that he as well as his family members were supporters of the Congress.

During his second day of cross examination, Singh said that he had stated before the CBI that Kumar had told the rioters that the houses of those Hindus who were giving shelter to Sikhs should also be burnt.

The witness also denied that he was not here in Delhi during the riots between October 31 and November three, 1984.

The cross-examination of Singh remained inconclusive and is likely to resume tomorrow.

In his testimony on October 19, Singh had identified in the court Kumar as someone who had allegedly provoked the mob to kill his brothers during the carnage after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

43-year-old Singh is a cousin of complainant Jagdish Kaur whose husband Kehar Singh and a son were also killed during the riots.

Kaur had on July 3 identified Kumar and his nephew Khokkar and other accused Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal as accomplices who had allegedly instigated mobs during the 1984 carnage.

Kaur's family members, including her husband, were killed in the riots.

The CBI had filed two charge sheets against Kumar and others on January 13 in the riots cases registered in 2005 on the recommendation of the GT Nanavati Commission.