New Delhi, India (November 25, 2011): The victims of genocidal violence against Sikhs in November 1984, today accused the Delhi state government of delaying the trial of a case, involving senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as an accused by not appointing a new judge to hold it, reports PTI.
This case was being tried earlier by former North East Delhi’s District Judge-cum-Additional Sessions Judge Sunita Gupta who was elevated as Delhi’s District Judge to head the city’s entire subordinate judiciary in October this year. After her promotion, she has been transferred to Tis Hazari Court complex but no new judge was appointed to resume the trial in the case involving Sajjan Kumar, said lawyer H S Phoolka, representing the 1984 genocide victims.
He said the Delhi High Court has already sent the recommendation to the government for appointment of a new judge to fill the vacancy and begin Kumar’s trial but the government has not yet issued the notification.
“It is over three weeks now that the high court recommended the name of a judge in place former DJ-cum-ASJ Gupta but but Delhi government is sitting over the file and is yet to issue the notification,” said Phoolka.
News report by PTI further adds that: “according to sources, the name of Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) J. R. Aryan, who now sits in Patiala House Court Complex, has been recommended for appointment as DJ-cum-ASJ of North East Delhi in place of Gupta”.
“He, however, is waiting for the city government’s notification to take over his new assignment”, News report quote sources as saying.