Court to resume recording witness' versions against Sajjan Kumar

A Delhi court today decided to resume recording statement of witnesses in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case allegedly involving senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar from September 29 with the apex court having dismissed a plea of the politician.

Additional sessions judge Sunita Gupta said that the cross-examination of complainant Jagdish Kaur would re-start on September 29.

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

The Supreme Court had stayed the trial in the case on August 13.

Kaur, who is the key witness in the case, would again appear before the court on September 29, which will be 17th day of her cross-examination.

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 the then prime minister 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.

The trial court had on July seven framed charges against the politician in another case in connection with the anti-Sikh riots.