84 riots case: SC refuses to cancel Sajjan’s bail

The Supreme Court has refused to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases. A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam said it was not inclined to interfere with the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Kumar.

The Supreme Court has refused to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases. A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam said it was not inclined to interfere with the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Kumar.

HT Image

It said considering the peculiar background of the case and its circumstances, there was nothing wrong in high court’s decision to grant anticipatory bail to the former MP. It dismissed the petitions filed by families of the riot victims.

Senior BJP leader and advocate Ravi Shankar Prasad attempted to politicize the case before the bench. On behalf of the petitioners, he submitted that the 1984 anti-sikh riots victims should get equal treatment like the victims of Gujarat riots.

Shankar urged the court to direct the CBI to protect all the witnesses who would be examined in the trial court. The court, however, refused to pass orders on the prayer. It said the witnesses could individually approach the trial court and file an application seeking police protection.

The Delhi HC had on February 26 granted anticipatory bail to Kumar and others in two riot cases, saying the delay in deposition of witnesses weighed in favour of the accused.

The CBI has filed two chargesheets in two separate riots cases before a special court in Karkardooma. The agency has accused 12 persons, including Kumar, for making provocative speeches that led to violence and killing of 12 people in Sultanpuri and Delhi Cantonment in 1984.