The Supreme Court will hear the bail plea filed by Sajjan Kumar on May 13, 2020. Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress leader is serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. He is an Indian Politician who was elected to the Lok Sabha as a member of the Indian National Congress. But he resigned after being convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots were a series of organised violent riots against Sikhs in India; in response to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. In 1984, the investigators found that the MP who was most commonly named by Sikh riot survivors for being responsible for the attacks in Delhi locality of Sultanpuri was Sajjan Kumar.
Background
Before 2005, Delhi Police investigated into the case and after 2005 CBI took over the investigation. In 2010, as a result of the CBI investigation, Kumar was tried for murder, dacoity, mischief to cause damage to property, promoting enmity between different communities, criminal conspiracy, and other provisions of theย Indian Penal Code.
However, in April 2013, the Karkardooma district court in Delhi acquitted Sajjan Kumar; while convicting five others, leading to protests. Henceforth, the CBI approached the Delhi High Court contending that the trial court erred in acquitting Kumar. Consequently, the High Court sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment on 17 December 2018 for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On 18 December 2018, he resigned from INC.
