Cross case in Sadar Bazar riots transferred to district court

New Delhi, Sep 11 (UNI) A city court today transferred a cross case in the 1990 Sadar Bazaar riots to a district court contending it as inappropriate for the same judge, who had already convicted 16 accused in another related case, to pass judgement.

Additional Sessions Judge N P Kaushik noted that he had already sentenced to life imprisonment 16 people from the minority community in one case on August 8 and it will not be appropriate to pass judgemnent in the cross case.

The transferred case involves four people from one community who are facing charges of rioting, looting and arson.

The riots occurred in the evening of November 14, 1990 in the Sadar Bazaar area of old Delhi when 15,000 Muslims and Sikhs were carrying out a procession from Gurudwara Sisganj to Idgah maidan.

Leading the procession were Hamid Sagar and Master Nooruddin.

Some of the participants in the procession gave provocative speeches which sparked off the riots.

Eight people died in the riots while 32 were injured. About 42 vehicles were damaged by the rioters while many buses burnt down.

During the course of the trial, the court examined 41 witnesses.

On August 30, the accused were found guilty on charges of murder, unlawful assembly, obstructing public servants and rioting.

UNI XC/NR MSJ BD1940