[1986 Anti-Sikh Riots] Supreme Court Denies Bail to convict Sajjan Kumar

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The Supreme Court today denied bail application filed on medical grounds to senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, convict in the case of Delhi Anti-Sikh riots, saying Kumar is no VIP.

A bench of Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh said that the applicant is a convict of a heinous crime and cannot be treated like a VIP.

Kumar had approached the Apex Court citing his medical condition, to which the Court had earlier directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a report on his medical condition.

Counsel appearing for Kumar submitted that he may be allowed to be transferred to Medanta at his own cost.

However, the bench while rejecting the bail application filed on the medical grounds clarified that the court will not pass any order, in case medical authorities deems it fit, they may do so.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had passed the direction while setting aside Kumar's acquittal in the matter.

The bench noted, “In the judgment that follows this Court has partly allowed CBI’s appeal and reversed the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar. This Court has convicted him for the offences of criminal conspiracy and abetment in the commission of the crimes of murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of communal harmony, defiling and destruction of the Gurudwara by burning.”

“This Court is of the view that the mass killings of Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in November 1984 were in fact “crimes against humanity," High Court added.