1984 riots accused contests CBI court’s jurisdiction
By IANSTuesday, March 30, 2010
NEW DELHI - A city court Tuesday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court to respond to a co-accused of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, who has contended that the CBI court has no jurisdiction to hear the case.
District and Sessions Judge G.P. Mittal issued notice to the CBI and asked it to file reply by April 1.
The CBI court Saturday sent the plea to the district and sessions judge to decide its jurisdiction.
Challenging the jurisdiction of the Karkardooma court, Kushal Singh pleaded that all cases should be transferred to another court as the offences were alleged to have been committed at Sultanpuri and Delhi Cantonment areas.
Singh’s counsel said that the case should be heard in Rohini or at the Tees Hazari district courts.
Special CBI judge P.S. Teji said: “Though the court has the power to hear this case, I am sending it to the district and session judge to decide.”
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar March 20 sent the two 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases involving Sajjan Kumar and the nine others to a special CBI judge for trial.
On March 10, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate’s court granted bail to Sajjan Kumar and others on furnishing a surety and personal bond of Rs.50,000 each. The CBI also provided a copy of the charge sheet to all of them.
Sajjan Kumar and Singh, Girdhari Lal, Balwan Khokhar, Mahender Yadav, Maha Singh, Capt Bhagmal, Santosh Rani and Krishna Khokhar were named as accused in the murder of five people in Delhi Cantonment in the 1984 riots following then prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
The CBI had filed a charge sheet against Sajjan Kumar and others in two cases for allegedly instigating mobs after the assassination Oct 31, 1984. More than 3,000 Sikhs were killed across Delhi.
