Protests are being staged in Jammu”s Digiana District after a district in New Delhi court acquitted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Harjeet Singh, a protester, criticized the government, and termed the verdict as an ”injustice” against the Sikh community. Sikh protesters shouted anti-government slogans and blocked roads on Wednesday. On Tuesday, a Delhi court acquitted Kumar and convicted five other accused of charges including rioting and murder in connection with the1984 anti-Sikh riots, nearly 29 years ago. The pronouncement of the judgment caused huge uproar in the courthouse, with a protester hurling a shoe at the judge who acquitted Kumar. The other five convicted persons in the case were taken into police custody even as the next hearing was fixed for May 6 to decide on the quantum of punishment to be awarded to them. Sajjan Kumar has to appear before another court in one more rioting case whereas the third case filed against him for rioting has been closed by the, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to lack of evidence. The demand to deliver a judgement against Sajjan Kumar and another co-accused Jagdish Tytler in the riot cases gained momentum after the Delhi Court on April 10 set aside the closure of the report CBI on former Congress lawmaker Jagdish Tytler, and ordered the reopening of the case against him in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. During arguments on April 2, the CBI prosecutor had sought the dismissal of a plea filed by the victim, saying the probe has made it clear that Tytler was not present on November 1, 1984 at Gurudwara Pulbangash in North Delhi where three people were killed during the riots. Tytler and Kumar are among the three prominent leaders named in the reports on the anti-Sikh riots. The third main accused was another Congress party leader Hari Krishan Lal Bhagat, who died in 2005. (ANI)
