Court starts evidence recording against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar

A Delhi court today resumed recording of statements of witnesses in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case allegedly involving senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar following dismissal of the plea of the politician by the apex court.

The proceedings started with the cross-examination of Jagdish Kaur who rejected suggestions that she was implicating the Congress leader at the behest of his political opponents. 

"It is incorrect to suggest that the mentioning of Sajjan Kumar was done and his presence in the meeting introduced for the first time at the behest of his political opponents and Gurudwara persons (Akali Dal)," Kaur, testifying as first prosecution witness, said before additional sessions judge Sunita Gupta.

The witness, examined by IU Khan, counsel for Sajjan, said "curfew (imposed after the assassination of the thenPrime Minister Indira Gandhi), was only a farce and in fact people were moving in the streets. It is incorrect to suggest that due to imposition of curfew, nobody was permitted to come out."

The proceedings relating to the case involving the killing of five persons began as the Supreme Court had said on September 20 that the materials placed by CBI were sufficient to proceed against Kumar.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had stayed the trial. 

Kumar, a former Outer Delhi MP, is facing prosecution in two cases in which he was accused of inciting a mob against Sikh community in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination on October 31, 1984.

The trial court had in May this year framed charges against Kumar and five others under Sections 302 (murder), 395 (dacoity), 427 (mischief to cause damage to property), 153A (promoting enmity between different communities) and other provisions of IPC.

CBI had accused Kumar of provoking people against members of Sikh community during the carnage that led to the killing of several persons in Delhi Cantonment area. 

Besides Kumar, other accused in the case are Balwan Khokhar, Krishan Khokhar, Mahender Yadav, Captain Bhagmal and Girdhari Lal.

CBI had filed two chargesheets against Kumar and others on January 13 in the riots cases registered in 2005 on the recommendation of justice GT Nanavati Commission which
inquired into the sequence of events leading to the riots.