1984 riots case: HC refuses urgent hearing to Sajjan's plea

The Delhi high court today refused to give early hearing to Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea for anticipatory bail in 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases.

Kumar, who is facing the threat of arrest for his alleged involvement in the cases, approached the Delhi high court pleading that his plea for anticipatory bail should be urgently heard in view of tomorrow's proceeding in the trial court which has sought his personal presence.

A bench headed by acting chief justice MB Lokur, however, turned down his plea and said his petition would be taken up in normal course.

Kumar, 64, a former MP from Outer Delhi, moved the high court after a lower court had yesterday refused to grant him anticipatory bail saying the allegations against him on "face value" do not appear to be completely false.

Filing the petition through advocate Anil Kumar Sharma, Kumar pleaded the lower court had wrongly rejected his plea.

The lower court, in its 38-page order, had said no exceptional reasons have been brought forth which may entitle the accused for the grant of anticipatory bail.

Though the veracity of allegations was the "subject matter of the trial", the findings suggested there was some substance in them, it said.