1984 Anti-Sikh riots: HC admits CBI’s appeal against acquittal of Sajjan Kumar
1984 Anti-Sikh riots: The Delhi High Court has admitted the CBI appeal against the acquittal of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar and others in a murder and rioting case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
In an order issued on October 21, a Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Amit Sharma gave the probe agency 'leave to appeal' against the trial court's decision of September 20, 2023, and scheduled the matter for further hearing in December.
A 'leave to appeal' is legal permission provided by a court for a party to challenge a decision in a higher court. "In the opinion of this Court, the CBI's leave to appeal deserves to be granted...The leave petition is allowed...Admit," the order reads.
The court also admitted the victim Sheela Kaur's appeal against the acquittal order and directed the registry to prepare a report on the existence of any such appeals connected to the 1984 riots against the currently accused persons.
On September 20, 2023, Special Judge Geetanjli Goel acquitted Kumar in the case, granting him the "benefit of the doubt" and stating that the prosecution "failed to prove the charge against the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt."
The trial judge also acquitted two other accused, Ved Prakash Pial and Brahmanand Gupta, stating that the prosecution failed to substantiate the murder and rioting charges against them.
- PTC NEWS
