CBI on Friday alleged in a city court hearing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, in which Congress leader Sajjan Kumar along with others is facing trial, that the Delhi police had failed to act against the main culprits and had tried to shield the accused.
Continuing the final arguments, senior advocate RS Cheema, appearing for the CBI, told District Judge JR Aryan that the two Delhi police officials who had deposed as defence witnesses in the case were not reliable. 'Whatever action was taken by the Delhi police was taken against the people who helped the Sikhs. Police did not take action against the main culprits. No policeman was recording complaint during the riots. They were not helping the victims. They were trying to shield the accused,' he said.
Sajjan Kumar is facing trial along with five others - Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal - for allegedly inciting a mob against the Sikh community in Delhi Cantonment area. The case relates to anti-Sikh riots that had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October, 1984.
'Even the police officials, who were defence witnesses in the case, had said in their statements that they had not seen anything during the riots,' Cheema argued. He said that this showed the police was only interested in discrediting the statement of eyewitness and complainant Jagdish Kaur to give a clean chit to Sajjan Kumar.
'They (the police) were not ready to investigate the incident as per law,' Cheema, who is likely to conclude arguments on 18 March said. He referred to the statement of defence witness Chajju Ram, a police constable, in which he had deposed that he was on duty during those tumultuous days and did not come across any report of any killing or rioting in the Raj Nagar area.Cheema argued, 'The witness (Chajju) had said that he did not come across any violent activity in the area on 1 to 3 November, 1984. 'On the other hand, according to the GT Nanavati Commission report, the official casualty figures show that during the riots 341 people were killed.'
Continuing the final arguments, senior advocate RS Cheema, appearing for the CBI, told District Judge JR Aryan that the two Delhi police officials who had deposed as defence witnesses in the case were not reliable. 'Whatever action was taken by the Delhi police was taken against the people who helped the Sikhs. Police did not take action against the main culprits. No policeman was recording complaint during the riots. They were not helping the victims. They were trying to shield the accused,' he said.
Sajjan Kumar is facing trial along with five others - Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal - for allegedly inciting a mob against the Sikh community in Delhi Cantonment area. The case relates to anti-Sikh riots that had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October, 1984.
'Even the police officials, who were defence witnesses in the case, had said in their statements that they had not seen anything during the riots,' Cheema argued. He said that this showed the police was only interested in discrediting the statement of eyewitness and complainant Jagdish Kaur to give a clean chit to Sajjan Kumar.
'They (the police) were not ready to investigate the incident as per law,' Cheema, who is likely to conclude arguments on 18 March said. He referred to the statement of defence witness Chajju Ram, a police constable, in which he had deposed that he was on duty during those tumultuous days and did not come across any report of any killing or rioting in the Raj Nagar area.Cheema argued, 'The witness (Chajju) had said that he did not come across any violent activity in the area on 1 to 3 November, 1984. 'On the other hand, according to the GT Nanavati Commission report, the official casualty figures show that during the riots 341 people were killed.'