Saturday, June 20, 2026
ADVT 
India

1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Another HC Judge Recuses From Hearing Plea Against Sajjan Kumar

IANS, 13 Jul, 2017 01:24 PM
    A second Delhi High Court judge on Thursday recused himself from hearing Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
     
    Earlier, a Judge on Monday recused to hear a plea seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted by the trial court to Sajjan Kumar in the case.
     
     
    Now, the case has gone to a third Judge in the Delhi High Court and will be heard on July 19.
     
     
    The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had approached the court seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted by the trial court to Kumar.
     
     
    On June 10, the first Delhi High Court Judge recused himself from hearing Kumar's bail cancellation plea in connection with the riots, as the appearing advocate was his relative.
     
     
    Earlier in April, the Delhi High Court had re-opened five cases in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that were closed in 1986.
     
     
    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also filed appeals against the acquittal of Kumar and light sentence to ex-councillor Balwan Khokar.
     
     
     
     
     The High Court had taken suo motu cognisance as during course of the arguments Kumar's lawyers mentioned these matters as precedents since co-accused Mahender Yadav, Balwan Khokar and Kishan Khokar had been acquitted in them.
     
     
    The court noted that eyewitnesses had not been examined in those cases and there was a "travesty" since investigation was not done properly.
     
     
    The court took suo motu cognisance of the "errors" in the 1986 trial judgment, adding that key eyewitnesses were not examined and cases were closed "very rapidly" seemingly without proper investigation and trial.
     
     
    The Bench passed this order after taking note of the trial court judgments passed in 1986 in the five cases.
     
     
    The apex court had also directed the Centre to deposit more than 190 files in connection with this case.
     
     
    Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the apex court that the SIT in as many as 263 cases had no case files and there was no trace of any victim or witness.
     
     
    On February 20, the Centre filed a status report in the top court on the investigation conducted by the SIT into anti-Sikh riots cases.
     
     
     
     
    Anti-Sikh riots that broke out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi had claimed 2,433 lives in Delhi alone. 

    MORE India ARTICLES

    8 Year Old Andhra Boy Branded With Cigarette Butts Over Rs 10

    8 Year Old Andhra Boy Branded With Cigarette Butts Over Rs 10
    In a shocking incident, a youth branded an eight-year-old boy with burning cigarette butts all over his body over a matter of Rs 10.

    8 Year Old Andhra Boy Branded With Cigarette Butts Over Rs 10

    Gujarat Makes Cow Slaughter Punishable With Life Imprisonment

    Gujarat Makes Cow Slaughter Punishable With Life Imprisonment
    The Gujarat assembly on Friday made its anti-cow slaughter law the toughest in the country with the offence now becoming non-bailable and punishable with a life-time in jail.

    Gujarat Makes Cow Slaughter Punishable With Life Imprisonment

    Pregnant Woman Abandoned By Husband, Writes To PM Modi To End Triple Talaq

    Pregnant Woman Abandoned By Husband, Writes To PM Modi To End Triple Talaq
    A three-month pregnant woman here has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging to bring to end triple talaq after her husband abandoned her fearing she may give birth to a girl again.

    Pregnant Woman Abandoned By Husband, Writes To PM Modi To End Triple Talaq

    Servant Drugs Mohali Deputy Commissioner's In-Laws Before Theft

    Servant Drugs Mohali Deputy Commissioner's In-Laws Before Theft
      The police said the victims had been identified as KS Kang, his wife Satinder Kaur and their daughter-in-law Manpreet Kaur. The accused has been identified as Ram Bahadur.

    Servant Drugs Mohali Deputy Commissioner's In-Laws Before Theft

    25-Year-Old Delhi Man Allegedly Kills Himself In Front Of Wife

    25-Year-Old Delhi Man Allegedly Kills Himself In Front Of Wife
      The victim, Manoj Kumar, used to often threaten his wife saying that he would kill himself, police said.

    25-Year-Old Delhi Man Allegedly Kills Himself In Front Of Wife

    Muslim Councillors In Meerut Walk Out During Vande Mataram, Membership Terminated

    Muslim Councillors In Meerut Walk Out During Vande Mataram, Membership Terminated
    A group of Muslim councillors left the Meerut Municipal Corporation House as soon as other members started singing Vande Mataram, following which a proposal to terminate their membership was passed.

    Muslim Councillors In Meerut Walk Out During Vande Mataram, Membership Terminated