The Delhi High Court has granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the right to challenge the acquittal of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma of the Delhi High Court allowed the ‘leave to appeal’ and have scheduled the case for further hearings in December.
The decision follows the September 20 acquittal of Kumar by Special Judge Geetanjli Goel, who cited “benefit of doubt” as the reason for the dismissal. The trial court’s verdict was met with controversy, as it also cleared two other accused, Ved Prakash Pial and Brahmanand Gupta, of charges related to murder and rioting during the riots that erupted after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
The High Court’s recent order also includes the admission of an appeal by the victim, Sheela Kaur, challenging the acquittal order. The court has instructed the registry to compile a report on any additional appeals involving the accused from the 1984 riots.
Sajjan Kumar has been a central figure in multiple cases stemming from the riots, which resulted in significant loss of life and widespread violence against the Sikh community. Despite the acquittal in this case, Kumar remains incarcerated in Tihar Jail, serving a life sentence from a separate conviction related to the same riots.
