New witnesses say Sajjan Kumar involved in two other 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases

The troubles of former MP Sajjan Kumar, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday in an 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, may be far from over.

At least two persons, who have deposed for the first time before the special investigation team (SIT), have confirmed the former Congress leader’s involvement in two incidents of mob violence, a government official privy to the development said.

Kumar, a three-time Member of Parliament from outer Delhi constituency, resigned from the Congress on Tuesday.

Kumar’s counsel Anil Sharma had said on Monday they would approach the Supreme Court against the conviction.

The statement of the two witnesses, who were contacted for the first time since 1984, were recorded by the SIT after which Kumar was interrogated. In these cases, Kumar is currently on anticipatory bail. The SIT has challenged Kumar’s anticipatory bail and approached Supreme Court, which is yet to decide on the matter.

Set up by the union home ministry to investigate 1984 riots cases, the SIT is investigating three cases in which Kumar is one of the main accused.

“The SIT made a breakthrough by finding witnesses who deposed for the first time. No agency had contacted them. They had left Delhi and were settled in other states, some even abroad. Based on their statements, the team built their case. But before they could get to Kumar, he got anticipatory bail,” said a senior government officer.

The officer said even if Kumar gets relief against Monday’s verdict, he could be arrested if his anticipatory bail is cancelled.

The official, who did not wish to be named, said one of the new witnesses has reportedly identified Kumar as part of a mob of 125 persons. In his statement, the man confirmed that on November 1 he saw Kumar pointing at a Gulab Bagh gurdwara and directed the mob to ransack and destroy it. The gurdwara was later burnt, the man confirmed.

Another witness reportedly told the SIT he had escaped while his father and brother-in-law were burnt to death by the same mob while they were going to hospital near Uttam Nagar on November 2.

The anti-Sikh riots cases are being investigated separately by CBI and the SIT. One of the cases the CBI is currently probing has the name of another senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler as an alleged accused.

Sajjan’s brother Ramesh Kumar refused to comment on the case but said: “The ghost of the ’84 riots has never failed to haunt him and our entire family. Our family has even received death threats but we believe in the judicial process,” Ramesh said.

Ramesh had contested from south Delhi on a Congress ticket, which before the delimitation of constituencies in 2008 was Sajjan’s stronghold.