CBI opposes Sajjan Kumar’s bail applications, says ‘anti-Sikh riots was akin to Nazi extermination of Jews’ 

Sajjan Kumar.

New Delhi: Opposing former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar’s bail application in the anti-sikh riots case, the Central Bureau of Investigation, on Friday, told the Supreme Court that he is capable of “influencing/terrorizing witnesses” and a fair trial would not be possible in the case pending against him, if he is granted bail.

The CBI equated the killings of Sikhs in 1984 with the genocide of Jews by the Nazis and said, “The crimes against humanity (during the anti-Sikh pogrom) was on parity with the well-known genocides worldwide, like the large-scale killing of Armenians by Kurds and Turks, mass extermination of Jews by Nazis, mass killing of Bangladeshi citizens by the backers of the Pakistani army and as well as the mass killings during various ethnic riots within India.”

The CBI added that in this case, the attacks on the minority community (Sikhs) were “spearheaded by dominant political actors, like the applicant/convict (Kumar), and duly facilitated by law enforcement agencies.”

Sajjan Kumar moved to the Supreme Court after the Delhi high court’s December 17 verdict that sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The CBI claimed that Kumar has been using his large political support to derail the trial and influence witnesses in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. “It took 34 valuable years of legal battle and courage shown by fearless witnesses/victims, which has resulted in his conviction. No leniency, therefore, on the ground of age should be granted,” the agency added.

The bail application of Sajjan Kumar is now listed before the Supreme Court and the further hearing will be on March 25.  

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