USA—WikiLeaks, an online organization which leaks secret information, has published an internal USA document in relation to Sajjan Kumar’s role in the 1984 Delhi massacre.
The document informs that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed two chargesheets in January against Sajjan Kumar, senior Congress Party leader and former Member of Parliament, regarding two cases in relation to the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre, which saw the reprisal murders of over 3,000 Sikhs. The CBI charged Kumar with making provocative speeches and instigating a mob of 300 people on November 1, 1984 to kill members of the Sikh community in Delhi and destroy their properties. The charge sheet alleges that the mob’s actions caused the deaths of 12 persons and the destruction and looting of much property.
The document terms the CBI charges against Kumar as a step towards accountability for those involved in the massacre and an opportunity for the current Congress Party to address the past. However, it recognizes that such charges against Kumar may be seen by the Sikh community as too little too late, in light of the passing of 30 years without the necessary convictions for those involved in the massacre.
Some have predicted that the cases will never see the light of day. Ravi Nair, human rights expert and Director of the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center, exclaimed that “it’s too little and too late.” He stressed that these cases will remain in judicial limbo for another twenty years. Nair believed Kumar was clearly responsible for the violence directed at the Sikhs, adding that the CBI attempted to arrest Kumar 15 years ago, but the police fudged the reports. H.S. Phoolka, a lawyer who has represented victims of the massacre, agreed that though this is a serious and strong case with evidence, he believes the CBI is not really serious about fully prosecuting the case.
