The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court order granting anticipatory bail to senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases.
"We are not inclined to interfere with the Delhi High Court order," a bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam said.
The court pointed out that the background of the case is peculiar and considering all the circumstances, there is nothing wrong in grant of anticipatory bail.
The court dismissed the petitions filed by families of the riot victims.
Giving a political colour to the case, senior advocate and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who appeared on behalf of one of the petitioners, submitted that the victims of 1984 riots should be given equal treatment like that of victims of Gujarat riots.
He said that the CBI should be directed to provide protection to all the witnesses who will be examined in the trial court.
The court, however, refused to give any direction to the CBI, saying that the witnesses can file the application in the appropriate court if they feel so.
The High Court had on February 26 granted anticipatory bail to Kumar and others in two riot cases, saying the delay in deposition of witnesses weighed in favour of the accused.
The CBI had chargesheeted 12 people, including Kumar, on January 13 in the two separate cases for allegedly making provocative speeches, leading to the killing of 12 people in the violence that broke out following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. PTI
