1984 anti-Sikh riots case: SC rejects Sajjan Kumar's plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea for bail and relief made by Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in connection with a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

The apex court dismissed Kumar's petition to drop murder charges against him.

It asked Kumar to face trial in a murder in Sultanpuri in Delhi, during the riots that followed the October 31, 1984 assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

Kumar has been accused of murder, rioting and promoting hatred between communities which allegedly led to the deaths of six people in Sultanpuri.

At least 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots.

At the time, Kumar, now 67,was a Congress Member of Parliament.

In May this year, the Delhi High Court had reserved its judgment on Kumar in connection with an anti-Sikh riots case in Sultanpuri.

The court then heard the arguments of both sides. Riot victims" lawyer H.S. Phoolka then argued that criminal conspiracy be also added to the existing charges.

Earlier, Kumar had been acquitted of all charges in another case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

District and Sessions Judge J.R. Aryan acquitted Sajjan while convicting five others - Balwan Khokkar, an ex-councillor, Mahender Yadav, an ex-MLA, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal - for their involvement in the case.

Sajjan still faces trial in another 1984 rioting case. In a third case, Delhi Police has filed a closure report, saying there was no evidence against Kumar to implicate him.

The case, in which these five persons were held guilty, deals with the death of five Sikhs - Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh - who were members of the same family and were killed by the mob in Delhi Cantonment"s Raj Nagar area.