Delhi court acquits Sajjan Kumar in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday acquitted former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in connection with the alleged killing of three Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court acquitted Kumar with other accused individuals in the case. A copy of the detailed order is awaited.

In August, Special Judge MK Nagpal, had framed charges against Kumar under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including that of rioting, attempt to murder, promoting enmity between religious groups, and causing hurt, in a case related to the burning of a Gurudwara during the 1984 riots. Nagpal had called him the principal abettor.

The court had found sufficient oral and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution to support the contention that an unlawful assembly consisting of a large mob with weapons had gathered near a Gurudwara in Delhi's Nawada area on November 1, 1984.

However, while Kumar was charged as a part of this mob, he was discharged of the charge of murder (under Section 302 of IPC) in a separate incident on November 2, 1984, which resulted in two deaths and several injuries outside the Congress party’s office in Uttam Nagar.

Regarding the November 1 incident, the court had observed that Kumar had prima facie instigated other unidentified members of the mob to commit illegal acts, including burning down of the Gurudwara, damaging or looting articles, burning homes, and inflicting injuries on individuals.

The mob's objective was to set the Gurudwara on fire, loot its contents, destroy Sikh residences, and harm or kill Sikhs in retaliation for the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.