The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined a plea seeking to cancel an anticipatory bail granted to Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in two 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases.
Justice Anu Malhotra dismissed the plea by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, challenging an order of a trial court granting Mr. Kumar the anticipatory bail.
The High Court said the SIT was not able to make out any ground for cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Mr. Kumar. As per records, he was available throughout the investigation, the High Court said, directing him to continue following the directions issued by the trial court.
Prior permission
The trial court had said that Mr. Kumar “shall join the investigation as and when directed by the investigating officers concerned; shall not threaten or influence any of the witnesses and shall not leave the country without prior permission of the court concerned”.
He was granted anticipatory bail by a trial court on December 21, 2016, in two cases of killing of three Sikhs during the riots which had occurred after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The two cases filed against Mr. Kumar fall under the jurisdiction of Janakpuri and Vikaspuri police stations in west Delhi. Mr. Kumar had contended that his name was never taken earlier and it was a case of fresh allegations coming up after 32 years, which was not allowed.
The SIT, set up by the Centre in 2015 to investigate the anti-Sikh riots cases, has charged the leader with murder, attempt to murder and rioting on the basis of complaints by Harvinder Singh, one of the victims of the riots.
The SIT had contended that the trial court order granting anticipatory bail to Mr. Kumar was perverse and overwhelming circumstances were ignored.
