Delhi HC must probe police involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh riots: KTS Tulsi

Hailing the Delhi High Court for ordering a retrial of five 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases, senior advocate KTS Tulsi on Thursday alleged that the investigation was not completed as policemen were involved in the case.

"Delhi High Court has seen that the inquiry was not completed properly because the policemen were also involved and helped the rioters. Hence the court has to see whether the investigation was carried out properly or not," Tulsi told ANI.

The High Court yesterday reopened five cases in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that were closed in 1986.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed appeals against the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and light sentence to ex-councillor Balwan Khokar.

High Court took suo Motu cognizance during course of the arguments presented by Kumar's lawyers and mentioned these matters as precedents since co accused Mahender yadav and Balwan Khokar and Kishan Khokar had been acquitted in them.

The court noted that eyewitnesses had not been examined in those cases and there was a "travesty" since investigation was not done properly.

Court took suo Motu cognizance of the "errors" in the 1986 trial judgment, adding that key eyewitnesses were not examined and cases were closed "very rapidly" seemingly without proper investigation and trial. The bench passed this order after taking note of the trial court judgments passed in 1986 in the five cases.