1984 anti-Sikh riots: Court reserves order on missing chargesheet

NEW DELHI - A city court Saturday reserved its order on an application on a chargesheet prepared by the Delhi Police against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case but which was never presented before a judicial officer.

Additional Sessions Judge V.K. Goyal said the order on whether directions could be issued to the police to file the chargesheet before a court would be passed May 21.

“The chargesheet was prepared in the case based on FIR number 67/87 in police station Nangloi, naming Sajjan Kumar as accused on April 8, 1992, but it was dumped in the police file and never brought before the court,” special public prosecutor B.S. Joon had submitted before the court.

The FIR was clubbed with another riots case in which the trial was going on before the court, he had said.

During the arguments, senior counsel H.S. Phoolka, appearing for the riot victims, submitted the chargesheet should be filed before the court concerned and summons be issued against the accused to face trial.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajiv Ranjan, who appeared before the court to give an explanation on the matter, said the two cases relating to the incidents were clubbed on the legal opinion provided by the prosecution branch.

Prosecutor Joon said the police were not empowered to club cases and it was the sole prerogative of the court to decide such issues.

The prosecution had sought details of the two riots cases registered at Nangloi police station in 1987 and 1991.

The two cases were clubbed by the investigating officer and the name of the politician figured in one of the FIRs.