SC issues notice to Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on anticipatory bail plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Congress politician Sajjan Kumar on a Special Investigation Team (SIT) plea challenging his anticipatory bail related to cases that occurred during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. A bench headed Justice A.K. Sikri said: “It is high-time these cases are adjudicated and completed.” The bench asked Kumar to “fully cooperate” with the investigation and file his response within two weeks. The SIT probing the riots, has approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s February 22 order which declined the investigating agency’s plea seeking the cancellation of the anticipatory bail.

In December 2016, a trial court granted Kumar anticipatory bail in two cases related to the killing of three Sikhs during the riots which occurred after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. After the Delhi High Court upheld the trial court’s order, the SIT then approached the Supreme Court. During the hearing on Thursday, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh told the bench that new witnesses have surfaced in the case.

The SIT set up by the Centre in 2015 to investigate riot cases, has charged Kumar with murder, attempt to murder and rioting on the basis of complaints by Harvinder Singh, one of the victims. It contended that the trial court’s order was perverse while overwhelming circumstances were ignored.