Anti-Sikh riots: Police kept 'eyes closed' to violence, says CBI

The CBI today told a court here that the Delhi police, acting in a pre-planned manner during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, kept its "eyes closed" to the violence.

Advancing final arguments in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, in which veteran Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has been accused of instigating a mob in Delhi Cantonment area here, CBI counsel R S Cheema said the city police "deliberately" did not act the way it was supposed to.

"This was a case where the police acted in a pre-planned manner and every policemen was keeping his eyes closed," Cheema told Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) J R Aryan.

He said about 150 complaints were made regarding the riot incidents but only five FIRs were registered by the police.

"Whatever action was taken by the police was taken against the people who helped the Sikhs. Police did not take action against the main culprits. No policeman was recording complaint during the riots. They were not interfering to help the victims," he said.

Cheema said even the police officials, who were defence witnesses in the case, had said in their statements that they had not seen anything during the riots.

During the arguments, the court asked the prosecutor if the CBI has any "direct evidence" against Sajjan Kumar and other five accused Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal, Mahender Yadav, Balwan Khokkar and Captain Bhagmal to show they were instigating the mob to kill the Sikhs.

"Apart from the witnesses, do you have press reports or photographs published in the newspapers to show that Sajjan Kumar was addressing the mob? Do you have direct evidence against the accused?," the judge asked.

The CBI prosecutor told the court that they do not have the media reports but they have other direct evidences against accused, which he would show to the court on April 2, the next date of hearing.

... contd.

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