4 months ago
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Citing the “absence of credible evidence” against him, a Delhi tribunal connected Thursday acquitted erstwhile Congress MP Sajjan Kumar successful a lawsuit related to unit successful the Janakpuri country during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts said the prosecution had failed to found Kumar’s guilt beyond tenable doubt, which is indispensable for a condemnation successful a transgression trial. “Resultantly, due to the fact that of deficiency of credible grounds arsenic to the beingness of the accused successful the transgression successful question, oregon his being portion of the unlawful assembly, oregon his engagement successful immoderate manner, either done instigation, conspiracy oregon abetment of immoderate different nature, helium is acquitted of the charges,” the tribunal observed.
The lawsuit pertains to an FIR lodged astatine Janakpuri constabulary presumption successful transportation with the sidesplitting of 2 men, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh, connected November 1, 1984. Kumar’s sanction was added aboriginal pursuing a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted connected the recommendations of a committee headed by Justice G.P. Mathur, which revisited cases linked to the 1984 violence. In its chargesheet filed successful 2022, the SIT accused Kumar of offences including murder, rioting, promoting enmity betwixt groups, dacoity, mischief and hurting spiritual sentiments.
No merchandise from jail
Despite the acquittal, Kumar volition stay lodged successful Tihar Jail arsenic helium is serving beingness sentences successful different cases related to the 1984 riots. In 2018, the Delhi High Court awarded him beingness imprisonment for the sidesplitting of 5 Sikhs successful Palam Colony, a verdict presently nether situation successful the Supreme Court. In February 2024, helium was sentenced to beingness imprisonment successful different lawsuit relating to the execution of Jaswant Singh and his lad Tarundeep Singh successful Saraswati Vihar.
Rejecting the prosecution’s statement that Kumar’s past convictions should measurement against him, the tribunal held that guilt successful 1 lawsuit cannot automatically found guilt successful another. “A antheral whitethorn beryllium convicted of 100 crimes, but to beryllium held blameworthy of the 101st crime, impervious beyond a tenable uncertainty successful that transgression is required,” it said.
Families’ reaction
Terming the acquittal an “injustice”, relatives of riot victims expressed anguish. Nirmal Kaur, whose begetter was allegedly burnt live during the riots, said she had spent 4 decades seeking justness but to nary avail. Wazir Singh, kin of different victim, alleged that Kumar escaped punishment successful respective execution cases owed to his “power and influence”.
