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

The witness' statements to judicial commissions cannot be used for any purpose, including that for discrediting her or to impeach her, District Judge J R Aryan said.

The Congress leader, in his application, had said the earlier affidavits and statements of complainant and key witness Jagdish Kaur to the judicial commission be allowed to be used to confront her with her recent testimony in the ongoing trial.

"It is clear that without going into the wider questions, even a plain reading of section 6 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act will prohibits the use of the previous statements at the trial either for the purposes of cross examination to contradict the witness or to impeach his credit," the court said.

The former Outer Delhi MP had filed an application saying that CBI prosecutor R S Cheema on July 12, 2010 had told the court that affidavits and statement of complainant and key witness Jagdish Kaur, recorded by G T Nanavati and Ranganath Mishra Commissions, cannot be used because of contradictions.

The CBI had said as per the provisions of the Commission of Inquiry Act, the affidavits and statements of a witness given before any Commission cannot be used against her for the purpose of questioning her testimony.

Sajjan Kumar, Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal are facing trial in the killings of six people in Delhi Cantonment area during the 1984 carnage which had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

They are accused of instigating a mob to attack and kill the Sikhs. (MORE)