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1984 anti-Sikh riots were crime against humanity: Delhi HC

Delhi High Court

New Delhi | The Delhi High Court on Monday convicting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case called that the riots were a crime against humanity.

Announcing the verdict the Court said, “The mass killings of Sikhs between 1st and 4th November 1984 in Delhi and the rest of the country, engineered by political actors with the assistance of the law enforcement agencies, answer the description of “crimes against humanity.”

Speaking about the incident, the Court said, “What happened in the aftermath of the assassination of the then PM was carnage of unbelievable proportions in which over 2,700 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone. Law&order clearly broke down&it was literally a free for all situation. Aftershocks of that still being felt.”

Pointing the failures to frame cases against Sajjan Kumar, the bench said, “It was an extraordinary case where it was going to be impossible to proceed against Sajjan Kumar in the normal scheme of things as there appeared to be ongoing large-scale efforts to suppress cases against him by not even recording them”.”Even if they were registered they weren’t investigated properly&investigations which saw any progress weren’t carried to the logical end of a charge sheet actually being filed. Even defence doesn’t dispute that as far as FIR is concerned, a closure report had been prepared,” the bench added.

The Delhi High Court on Monday has sentenced Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case and has asked Kumar to surrender by 31st December 2018. The High Court has reversed the judgement of the trial court which acquitted Kumar earlier. Along with Sajjan Kumar, Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and former Congress councilor Balwan Khokhar have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Kishan Khokkar and former legislator Mahender Yadav have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Reading the judgement the High Court said,” “In the summer of 1947, during partition, several people were massacred. 37 years later Delhi was the witness of a similar tragedy. The accused enjoyed political patronage and escaped trial.”

Sajjan Kumar is convicted in the 1984 Anti Sikh riot which was ignited after the assassination of Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards. Around 2800 people belonging to the Sikh community were killed in India during the anti-Sikh riots. The Delhi High Court earlier on 14 August 2018 started hearing appeals filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and victims against Sajjan Kumar acquittal in the Anti Sikh Riots of 1984in Delhi.

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Shiv Sena UBT & MNS Pitch For Bharat Ratna To Bal Thackeray

Sanjay Jog

Hours after the announcement of Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh and father of green revolution S Swaminathan, estranged brothers Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj Thackeray made a strong case for the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna to Shiv Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray. Shiv Sena UBT also demanded that the Bharat Ratna be conferred to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government at the Centre for not conferring Bharat Ratna to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and VD Savarkar.

‘’Prime Minister Modi, who calls himself Hindutva-vadi, has once again forgotten Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray. The first two and now three leaders have been honoured with Bharat Ratna in barely one month. However, neither Veer Savarkar nor Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray who deserve Bharat Ratna more than anyone else have been fully ignored. In one year, three persons can be honoured with Bharat Ratna. But PM Modi has announced five Bharat Ratnas. Clearly, elections are around the corner,’’ said Raut on X.

‘’After Karpuri Thakur and L K Advani, Chaudhary Charan Singh, P V Narasimha Rao, and M S Swaminathan have been honoured with Bharat Ratna today. Other leaders are waiting, too. But why has the PM forgotten Shri Balasaheb Thackeray who is the real architect behind the Hindu wave sweeping the country?’’ he asked. He further reminded, ‘’And remember, it is because of Balasaheb that PM Modi could hold the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya.’’

Even before Raut’s statement, MNS chief Raj Thackeray claimed his uncle and Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray deserves Bharat Ratna.

‘’Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and S Swaminathan, father of the Indian Green Revolution, were posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna. S Swaminathan passed away just a few months ago. A scientist who achieved so much should have received this honour during his lifetime. Anyway,

Now that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre has shown political generosity by honouring PV Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and Pranab Mukherjee a few years ago, they must show the same generosity and declare Balasaheb Thackeray Bharat Ratna as well,’’ said Raj Thackeray.

‘’A prominent cartoonist of this country and a unique leader who kindled the pride of all Hindus across the country deserves this honour. It will be a moment of jubilation for me, and others like me who have inherited Balasaheb’s thoughts,’’ said Raj Thackeray.

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