Anti-Sikh riots case: HC directs Delhi Police to continue security cover of controversial arms dealer

Delhi High Court has directed the police to continue giving round-the-clock security cover to controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma, a witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, till the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informs that it does not require him as their witness. The CBI, on the other hand, submitted that the investigation is still going on and they are not in a position to make a statement like that.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the police to continue giving round-the-clock security cover to controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma, a witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, till the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informs that it does not require him as their witness.

"In the circumstances, without getting into the merits of the case and without prejudice to the rights and contentions of the parties, the security cover be extended till the CBI informs to the Delhi Police that they do not require the petitioner as their witness," a single-judge bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna said in his order on Thursday.

During the hearing, advocate Rahul Mehra, standing counsel for the Delhi government in criminal matters, said that the necessity of providing security cover to the petitioner was only required till the polygraphic test was conducted.

He submitted that on the assessment of the threat perception by the DCP, the police was not inclined to continue the security cover given to the petitioner Abhishek Verma.

The CBI, on the other hand, submitted that the investigation is still going on and they are not in a position to make a statement like that.

With its directions, the High Court disposed of the plea filed by Abhishek Verma seeking directions to the authorities concerned to continue providing round-the-clock security cover to him and his family members till his examination is concluded in the case before the trial court.

Verma, in his application, said that the security cover given to him was withdrawn suddenly by the Delhi police without any prior intimation and without re-evaluating threat perception to him.

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Verma is a witness in the case pertains to the riots at Gurudwara Pulbangash in North Delhi where three people were killed on November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, who has denied any role in the riots, was given a clean chit by the CBI thrice in the case, but the agency was directed by the court to further investigate the matter. The victims had filed a protest petition challenging the CBI's closure reports in the case.

The court had in December 2015 directed the CBI to further investigate the matter and decided to monitor it every two months to ensure that no aspect is left uninvestigated.

The agency had reinvestigated the case of the killing of Badal Singh, Thakur Singh and Gurcharan Singh near the gurudwara after a court in December 2007 refused to accept its closure report. The CBI has filed three closure reports in the case.

(ANI)