Shivani Pandey
Published on August 24, 2021, at 15:05 IST
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday was asked by the Supreme Court to check the medical state of the former Congress leader and Convict Sajjan Singh and file an affidavit.
Sajjan Singh was convicted for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and now again seeks bail on health grounds. The Supreme Court had denied his bail request earlier on September 4, 2020, stating that it was not a ‘small case’. Representing the convict back then, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh had sought bail on health grounds stating that the convict had lost a considerable amount of weight in jail and needed to recover from several maladies.
However, the plea was denied as the riot victim’s lawyer, HS Phoolka stated before the Court that the convict was already receiving the required medical attention.
Post the assassination of former Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, Anti- Sikh riots took place on a huge scale in Delhi. Sajjan Singh was accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation of setting ablaze a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar, Part-II and murdering Sikh men in Delhi Cantonment’s Raj Nagar, Part- I area.
A trial court in 2013 had denied Sajjan Kumar’s conviction as he could not be convicted merely on the grounds of the eyewitness testimony and complainant Jagdish Kaur who lost her three brothers, husband, and son in the anti-Sikh riots.
The Delhi High Court however held Sajjan Kumar guilty and reversed his acquittal. He had to resign from the Congress Party post his conviction and was sent to Tihar Jail after he surrendered before a trial court on December 31, 2018.