1984 riots: Sajjan Kumar charged with murder

A Delhi court has charged Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and four others with murder and rioting in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case relating to the killing of six persons.

Additional sessions judge Sunita Gupta framed the charges under various sections of the Indian penal code for murder, abetment to murder, arson and defiling a place of worship. The four accused in this case are Brahmanand Gupta, Ved Prakash, Khushal and Peeria. During rioting that day, over 100 houses were torched and a gurudwara was attacked in Sultanpuri, police said.

Kumar is facing trial for criminal conspiracy, murder and other offences in a case relating to the killing of five persons in Delhi cantonment area during the riots. He and the others will be tried for the same offences in the death of six persons at Sultanpuri.
The riots happened after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

The court has fixed August 23 as the date for recording the statement of witnesses in the case. According to the central bureau of investigation counsel, after the framing of charges on Wednesday, the next stage will be the start of the trial.