Veteran Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, facing trial in a Delhi court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, on Monday blamed his political opponents for his ordeal and said they had falsely implicated him in the case.
Advancing final arguments in the case involving killings of five Sikhs, Kumar's counsel told District Judge J R Aryan that when Akali Dal was in power, they constituted the G T Nanavati Commission to probe the riots cases for falsely framing him.
"Political opponents of Sajjan Kumar got an opportunity to frame him in a false case by appointing the G T Nanavati Commission when Akali Dal was in power. Nanavati Commission was a political move by Akali Dal," said advocate I U Khan, appearing for Kumar.
He said no witnesses in the case came forward to depose anything against Kumar before the commissions, constituted to probe the riots cases, but as soon as the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, they began coming forward.
"No witness came forward before the police, riot cell or any commission to depose. In every stage, the witnesses were sleeping. They woke up only when the case was transferred to the CBI.
"Is it so that they do not trust the Supreme Court or the high court judges (who headed various commissions constituted to probe the riots) but they trust the CBI," argued Khan.
Kumar is facing trial along with five others -- Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal for allegedly inciting a mob against the Sikh community in Delhi Cantonment area.
Five Sikhs were allegedly killed in Delhi Cantonment area during the riots that had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
