1984 victims have lost hope in the system, says lawyer
Apr 30, 2013 17:20 IST
5.15 pm: Victims have completely lost hope in the system," says lawyer for the riot victims HS Phoolka
"Victims have completely lost hope in the system," says lawyer for the riot victims H S Phoolka, in his first statement after the verdict aquitting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. His full statement is given below:
Six police officers of the Delhi police appeared as defense witnesses in favour of Sajjan Kumar and deposed in court that Sajjan Kumar did not come to the Raj Nagar area and that the eye witnesses of the case are lying.
The Delhi Police and government have been openly shielding Sajjan Kumar and continue to do so till date. A charge sheet that was prepared and signed on 08.04.1992 with Sajjan Kumar as an accused for murder of four Sikhs has not been filed in court till today.
For 2733 killed in the capital of the country in cold blood in broad daylight, only 28 people have been punished for the offence of murder. All political leaders, who were responsible for the conspiracy and the execution of the large scale killings, have been let off. At every stage the accused have been shielded.
A section of the victims are now demanding that a law by the Parliament be enacted declaring that those killed in November 1984 were not human beings and those guilty of killing them do not deserve any punishment. Victims have completely lost hope in the system. The government and all its constituents always talk about Gujarat but a blind eye is turned towards the killings of 1984, as if those killed in 1984 were not human."
4.31 pm: Sajjan Kumar leaves court, evading media
Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has left the courtroom premises after being acquitted of involvement of the 1984 Sikh riots. However possibly given the protests outside the court, he evaded the media and attempted to leave the court from a different exit.
4.11 pm: Petitioner refusing to leave court till shoe thrower is released
Complainant and witness in the case Jagdish Kaur is refusing to leave the court premises until Karnail Singh, who has been detained for reportedly hurling a shoe at the judge, is released, reports Firstpost reporter Pallavi Polanki who is at the court premises.
Here is an image she sent us:
 
Pallavi Polanki/Firstpost
3.49 pm: We will appeal verdict in HC says lawyer for victims
A lawyer representing the 1984 riot victims has said that they will approach the High Court after examining what grounds Sajjan Kumar was released on. "We are upset with the verdict, but this is not the end, We will also go to the High Court. However we have to examine why he was acquitted before we approach the High Court", she said.
3.20pm: Hang us if you cannot give us justice, say 1984 eyewitnesses
"Hang me to death if you cannot hang Sajjan Kumar. He was the main accused and he was released while the others were given punishment," said a petitioner in the case, Jagdish Kaur. She was among many angry voices both inside and outside the court after the acquittal order of Sajjan Kumar was read out by the judge.
The sentiment was echoed by three eye witnesses who had testified that Kumar was present at the riots. They were at the court when the verdict was delivered, and they are now waiting to meet the judge to seek the death penalty for themselves.
Meanwhile a lawyer representing a man who threw a shoe at the judge after the verdict, has said that it was not his client's intention to actually hit the judge. "He threw the shoe because of the way India's judicial system is, not to hurt the judge. Never intended to hurt the judge, was symbolic action and ready to face action", he told the media.
3.15 pm: 'Happy my client is acquitted', says Sajjan Kumar's lawyer
"I am happy that he was acquitted. This was a case where there was no evidence against Sajjan Kumar," Ayub Khan, lawyer to Sajjan Kumar, told CNN-IBN.
"Sajjan Kumar is very happy. He went through unnecessary harassment," Khan said.
Manjeet Singh, president, Delhi Gurudwara Committee to CNN-IBN
"We will take the case to the higher court. The Congress government has done all its homework," Singh, president, Delhi Gurudwara Committee told CNN-IBN.
2.52pm Strong and emotional protests have taken place outside the court complex immediately after the verdict was passed. A shoe was also reportedly thrown at the judge who gave the verdict.
2.50pm Congress leader Sajjan Kumar acquitted in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case
The Karkardooma Court in Delhi has acquitted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case going to lack of evidence against him. He was booked for arson, robbery, murder etc. However five other leaders who were charged with him have been booked for murder. Sentencing will happen at a later date.
9:45 am: Judgement day for Sajjan Kumar today
It’s judgment day for controversial Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. A Delhi court will deliver its verdict on whether the former Member of Parliament is guilty of rioting and murder during the 1984 anti-Sikh communal riots in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
Almost 30 years later, history seems to have finally caught up with the Congress politician. Kumar and five others are charged with rioting, criminal conspiracy, causing enmity between communities and the murder of five people in Delhi Cantonment area on 1-2 November, 1984.
Kumar is facing trial along with five others–Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal – for allegedly inciting a mob against the Sikh community in Delhi Cantonment area.
  A charge sheet in the case was filed by the CBI in 2010. The trial concluded earlier this month.
In 2010, the CBI filed two charge sheets against Kumar and others in the anti-Sikh riots cases that were registered in 2005. The registration of cases followed the recommendation of the Justice GT Nanavati Commission, which was appointed to inquire into the sequence of the events that led to the ant-Sikh riots.
Concluding the final arguments on 4 April, CBI prosecutor DP Singh said that the prosecution has limited itself to what each of the witnesses had seen at the time of the incident.
The witnesses have given honest versions of what they all had seen during the riots, he said, alleging that in all the complaints wherever Kumar’s name had cropped up, it was “immediately eliminated” from the police records.
During the arguments, Kumar’s counsel IU Khan told the court that there were material contradictions in statements of the witnesses, including complainant Jagdish Kaur.
Khan said Kaur had not taken Kumar’s name anywhere in any of her affidavits filed before various judicial commissions, constituted to probe the riots-related cases, till 2010