Court resumes Sajjan Kumar's trial in 1984 anti-Sikh riot case

NEW DELHI: Resuming the trial of a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case relating to killing of 6 persons in city cantonment area by a mob allegedly at provocation of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, a Delhi court today summoned a former police inspector to depose as defence witness.

As the trial, stalled for the last two months due to transfer of the judge holding it at Karkardooma court, resumed, new District Judge-cum-Additional Sessions Judge J R Aryan issued summons to former Inspector Maan Chand to appear before it and scheduled the case for next hearing on January 3.

Judge Aryan summoned Maan Chand allowing Sajjan Kumar's plea for his examination in his defence.

The trial in the case had been stalled since early October when the previous judge trying the case, former North East Delhi's District-cum-Additional Sessions Judge Sunita Gupta of Karkardooma Court complex was elevated as Delhi's district judge and transferred to Tis Hazari court complex.

In the past three hearings, the case was merely getting adjourned as a new judge was not appointed to fill the vacancy.

Counsel Anil Sharma, appearing for Sajjan Kumar and other five co-accused in the case, moved the court for issuing summons to Maan Chand, who had worked for Delhi Police's Riot Cell, specifically set up to probe the riot cases in the wake of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.