1984 anti-Sikh riots case: court verdict on Sajjan Kumar today

The Delhi high court is likely to pronounce today its verdict on a plea by Congress leader Sajjan Kumar against a trial court order framing charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. HT reports.

The Delhi high court is likely to pronounce on Monday its verdict on a plea by Congress leader Sajjan Kumar against a trial court order framing charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The case relates to Kumar being implicated in the killings of six persons in Sultanpuri area.

And on Tuesday, a sessions court at Karkardooma is likely to pronounce its verdict in which six accused, including Kumar, are facing trial for the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area during the riots.

The court had framed charges against all the accused - Sajjan Kumar, Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal - under Sections 302 (murder), 395 (dacoity), 427 (to cause damage to property) 153-A (promoting enmity between communities) of the Indian Penal Code.

Justice Suresh Kait, who had reserved his order in the Sultanpuri case in December last year, will pronounce the verdict at 10.30am on Monday. Besides the Congress leader, co-accused Ved Prakash Pial alias Vedu Pradhan and Brahmanand Gupta had also moved the high court against framing of charges against them in the case. Complainant Sheela Kaur had filed a cross-appeal in the court seeking to invoke charges of criminal conspiracy against Kumar and other four accused in the case.

In July 2010, a lower court had framed charges against Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta, Peru, Khushal Singh and Ved Prakash for the murder of six people in the violence that erupted in Delhi and elsewhere following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.