New Delhi, Jan 22 The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Thursday said that it will challenge the decision of a court acquitting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 Sikh massacre case before the Delhi High Court.
Rouse Avenue district court on Thursday acquitted former Kumar in a case related to inciting violence in the Janakpuri area in the national capital during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
DSGMC president, Harmeet Singh Kalka, and general secretary, Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, in a statement, said that three Sikhs were killed on November 1 and 2, 1984, and five witnesses had recorded statements in the case, stating that the mob responsible for the killings was led by Sajjan Kumar. They said that despite this, the court pronounced an acquittal.
The DSGMC stated that a copy of the judgment would be obtained and examined in detail, following which the decision would be challenged in the high court. They added that by ensuring the recording of witnesses' testimonies in the HC, the committee would make sure that Kumar is also punished in this case.
"Harvinder Singh Kohli, has passed away and therefore could not record his testimony. Kohli was the key witness in the case, in whose presence a mob killed his companions Avtar Singh and Sohan Singh. His testimony was extremely important, but could not be recorded due to his death,” DSGMC said in a statement.
The Gurdwara committee said that the court's decision has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community, as acquitting the accused even after 42 years is extremely painful.
DSGMC accused Kumar of inciting mobs in his then parliamentary constituency of West Delhi. "The life imprisonment awarded in other cases, which he is already serving, proves that Sajjan Kumar was leading the mob," DSGMC said.
The DSGMC said that it remains committed to ensuring punishment for the guilty in all cases related to the 1984 Sikh massacre and is pursuing these cases with full seriousness, and will continue to do so.
