Sajjan Kumar Case: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday (21 January) deferred the verdict against former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Delhi Police has sought time to present some arguments in the case. Judge Kaveri Baveja's court in Rouse Avenue has deferred the verdict till January 31 after the prosecution sought time.

The Janakpuri case relates to the murder of two Sikhs - Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh - on November 1, 1984. The second case relates to the burning alive of Gurcharan Singh on November 2, 1984, which was registered at the Vikaspuri police station.

These were the charges
Sajjan Kumar was charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rioting, attempt to murder, promoting enmity between religious groups and causing hurt.

Nagpal had called Kumar the main abettor. The court had found sufficient oral and documentary evidence produced by the prosecution to support the argument that an unlawful assembly with arms was held near a gurdwara in Delhi's Nawada area on November 1, 1984.

However, Kumar was accused of being part of this mob. He was acquitted of murder charges (under Section 302 of the IPC) in a separate incident on November 2, 1984, which resulted in two deaths and several injuries outside the Congress party office in Uttam Nagar.

Incited to commit unlawful acts?
With regard to the November 1 incident, the court had found that Kumar had prima facie incited other unknown members of the mob to commit unlawful acts, including burning of the gurdwara, damaging or looting property, burning houses and causing hurt to persons.

The mob's objective was to set the Gurdwara on fire, loot its contents, destroy Sikh residences, and harm or kill Sikhs in retaliation for the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.