New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) A city court Monday pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for not issuing a notice to the complainant before filing the closure report in a case of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“CBI, a premier investigating agency, is not exempted from following the proper channel. It is the legal duty of the CBI to summon the complainant whenever closure report is filed in any case,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar said.

The court issued a notice to Harbinder Kaur, who lost her doctor-husband Iqbal Singh Chaddha in the riots sparked by the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, to appear before the court Feb 23.

The court asked Kaur if she still wanted to pursue the case. According to court procedures, the complainant is asked this question before a case is closed.

Last week, the CBI filed two charge sheets in two riot cases of Delhi Cantonment and Sultanpuri areas against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and others. They were charged with murder, rioting, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

The CBI, which probed the cases, also sought prosecution of Sajjan Kumar, a former MP from Outer Delhi, for allegedly making provocative speeches during the riots. He has been charged under section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between classes).

The agency had also filed a closure report pertaining to the death of Chaddha in the riots in Mangolpuri area, saying the complainant could not give any information as to where, when and who killed her husband and burnt his body.

The CBI said that several witnesses of the killing had died, while several others had shifted residence and were not traceable.

Meanwhile, the court has put the other two charge sheets - filed in the Sultanpuri and Delhi Cantonment cases - for further consideration Feb 1.

As the proceedings were on in the Karkardooma court, around 250 Sikhs staged a protest outside, torching an effigy of Sajjan Kumar. The police used water cannons to disperse the crowd.

“Ours was a peaceful protest. We don’t want to take law into our hands but want the guilty to be punished. It’s been 25 years since the guilty are on the run,” said Baljeet Kaur, president of voluntary group ‘Sikhs For Justice’.

All India Sikh Students Federation representative Karnail Singh said: “We have not broken any law. Water cannons should not be used against us in this chilling winter. They just want to harass us.”