Acting upon the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) petition, India’s apex court on Thursday sought a response from Congress leader Sajjan Kumar who is accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh violence cases.
The SIT which was set up by the federal government in 2015 to re-investigate “serious” riots cases had challenged the anticipatory bail granted to Mr Kumar by the Delhi High Court earlier in February this year.
But rejecting their petition, the high court had on February 22nd upheld a trial court’s order granting Mr Kumar an anticipatory bail in two cases involving killings of three Sikhs during the Delhi violence in 1984 which had occurred after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31.
The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice AK Sikri frowned upon the Delhi High Court's lengthy order granting an anticipatory bail to Mr Kumar and further questioned the delay in concluding the investigation of the cases.
“It is high-time these cases are adjudicated and completed.”
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh who is representing the SIT told the Supreme Court that since Mr Kumar has been granted the anticipatory bail, he has stopped cooperating with the investigation.
Mr Singh further contended that Mr Kumar comes to the questioning with a bevy of lawyers and dictates his statements to the investigation officer. He also informed the court that new witnesses have appeared in the cases.
The bench after considering Mr Singh’s submission issued a notice to Mr Kumar, ordering him to cooperate with the investigators and file a response within two weeks.
