SC judge recuses from hearing Sajjan Kumar's bail plea

A Supreme Court judge, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday recused from hearing the bail plea by former Delhi Congress MP Sajjan Kumar after his conviction and sentence of jail till remainder of his life in a case of the killing of five persons here in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

As soon as the matter came up for hearing before a bench presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Khanna withdrew himself from the case, saying he had earlier dealt with the case.

The top court had on January 13 sought a response from the CBI others within six weeks as Kumar had surrendered in December, 2018 and had since been sent to jail.

The Delhi High Court had in December, last found Kumar guilty for criminal conspiracy of murder and giving provocative speeches and held the mass killings in Delhi and elsewhere in November 1984 were in fact crimes against humanity.

It also noted those responsible for the mass crimes enjoyed political patronage and managed to evade prosecution and punishment with facilitation of law enforcement agencies.

Within days, 73-year-old Kumar filed the appeal against the judgement, that had overturned his acquittal by a Delhi court in 2013. After the high court's judgement, he had resigned from primary membership of Congress party.