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Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, December 17
Local politicians, intelligentsia and others have welcomed the Delhi High Court’s verdict of granting life sentence to Sajjan Kumar for killing five persons of a family during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Senior BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, hailing the verdict, stated on Monday that several Congress leaders were part of the criminal conspiracy to commit murders. He said the verdict was one of its kind in the last 34 years since the worst ever massacre took place in various parts of the country.
Calling the court’s decision as historic, Chhina said it was during the NDA government that a special investigating team (SIT) was formed and the cases related to the massacre were re-investigated.
“Most of the times the Congress was in power and it never initiated proper investigation on the basis of which the judiciary was to deliver justice,” he said.
In a hard hitting statement, the BJP leader said the Congress governments had been shielding their leaders during the investigation. Chhina added that the verdict had given a ray of hope to the victims of 1984 riots that the justice was in sight.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting up the SIT in 2015 and reopening the case closed by the Delhi Police in 1994. He said the country would not rest till the last murderer was brought to justice. It’s better late than never, he said.
Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu welcomed the court’s verdict. He said though it arrived late, it eventually re-established the hope of people in the judiciary.
Kewal Dhaliwal, dramatist and playwright, said the decision would definitely come as a relief to the families and victims of the 1984 riots. “I would say that despite the time taken, justice has finally been delivered. I hope that the other accused of similar heinous crimes will be taken to task. We are among the ones who have lived through the times and it has been a constant struggle for the families of victims. Today’s decision gives them hope,” he added.
Arvinder Chamak, artist and general secretary, IAFA, said, “Justice delayed is justice denied. In this case, the essence of judiciary and justice has long been lost due to the 34 year delay. I am though glad that the culprits have finally been proven guilty, but it’s not about one person. We are dependent on the political parties to get justice. The fact that our judiciary lagged behind in this case is a serious issue. Nonetheless, it’s a victory for the family of the victims of 1984 riots. I hope that the process of justice will continue for others as well.”
Bhagwant Singh (66), general secretary, 1984 Sikh Katleyam Pirat Parvar Sangarsh Committee, said the verdict came very late. He recalled that he was 30-year-old when his younger brother Harpal Singh (22) was killed by rioters in Palam village and his family had to rush to Amritsar to save themselves.
A riot survivor, Gurmeet Singh Babloo, 50, welcomed the verdict. He demanded swift justice in such cases to prevent its recurrence. He recalled that he was a teenager, studying at Guru Harkrishan Public School, India Gate, when the carnage took place. He recalled that after selling a commercial building and a residential building in Daryaganj, his family comprising his parents, elder brother and elder sister landed in the holy city.
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