Delhi court slams CBI for not arresting Sajjan Kumar

A Delhi court slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday for its failure to arrest former Congress Member of Parliament Sajjan Kumar and other accused in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and produce them before it.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma refused the plea of the central probe agency to issue proclamation against the accused on the ground that they were absconding.

The court issued fresh non-bailable warrant against Kumar and 11 other accused for March 10.

"So far groundwork is concerned, the CBI does not seem to be serious enough to apprehend the accused. The CBI wants to complete only paperwork. These are all stereotype reports," the court said.

The harsh remarks of the court came after the CBI submitted that it had conducted raids at the residences of the accused but failed to apprehend them.

"Is the NBW to be executed at residences only?" the court asked the probe agency, which submitted that the accused were hiding and concealing themselves from the process of law.

The investigating agency, however, managed to arrest Girdhari Lal, one of 12 accused, who was remanded to judicial custody till March 9.

Advocate I U Khan, appearing for Sajjan Kumar, opposed the issuance of fresh warrant and submitted that Kumar was not running away and was just exploring all statutory remedies available to him by approaching a higher court.

He sought exemption from appearance for the accused on the ground that his anticipatory bail plea has been heard by the Delhi high court, which had reserved its order.

Pendency of bail application is reasonable ground to grant exemption in the matter, Khan said. He refuted the Central Bureau of Investigation's charge that Kumar was absconding.

"In case, Kumar appears before the court and gets arrested, the purpose of filing anticipatory bail becomes infructuous," Khan submitted, adding that exhausting all remedial measures is the right of an accused.

The court, declining the plea of Khan and the other accused, issued fresh NBWs for March 10.

In a related development, the court accepted the CBI's closure report in a case against Kumar and other accused registered with the Mongolpuri police station after the complainant Harvinder Kaur failed to appear before it despite receiving the notice.