The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday recorded the testimony of Dr. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who provided a medical certificate for Harvinder Singh Kohli, a complainant with fractured hands and a shoulder injury sustained during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Dr. Sharma deemed these injuries grievous.
This case involves two riot incidents in Janak Puri and Vikas Puri from 1984. The court had previously discharged former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar from murder charges.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja recorded Dr. Sharma’s statement, which confirmed that on November 15, 1984, at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, he issued a medical certificate to Harvinder Singh Kohli, noting fractures in both hands and the right shoulder, classifying the injuries as grievous.
Sajjan Kumar was discharged on August 23 for murder charges, but the trial continues for other offenses related to rioting.
The Janakpuri case involves the November 1, 1984, killing of Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh. Another case was registered at Vikaspuri police station for the November 2, 1984, burning of Gurcharan Singh.
The court framed charges against Sajjan Kumar under several IPC sections, including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153 (promoting enmity), 295 (defiling place of worship), 307 (attempted murder), 308 (attempted culpable homicide), 323 (causing hurt), 395 (dacoity), and 426 (mischief). However, he was discharged from charges under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 325 (grievous hurt).
The court noted sufficient evidence to suggest an unlawful mob, armed with deadly weapons, had gathered near the Gurudwara in Gulab Bagh, Nawada, on November 1, 1984, intending to set it on fire, loot, and destroy Sikh properties in retaliation for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
A prima facie case was established against Sajjan Kumar for the above offenses, and charges were directed to be framed. Additionally, a charge for abetment under Section 107 IPC, punishable under Sections 109 and 114 IPC, was also framed due to his presence at the crime scene.
However, for the November 2 incident involving the murders of Sohan Singh and Avtar Singh, and the injuries to Harvinder Singh, Sajjan Kumar was discharged from murder and grievous hurt charges, as discussed in the court’s order.
