CBI changes advocate in Sajjan Kumar Sikh Riot case

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) today submitted before the Delhi High Court that Advocate S S Gandhi would represent the investigating agency during the proceedings against Congress Parliamentarian Sajjan Kumar and others in the 1984 Sikh Riots cases.

Appearing before a bench headed by Justice Manmohan Sarin, the CBI said Gandhi and R M Tiwari would be appearing in the case.

On the last date of hearing Tiwari could not satisfactorily answer the queries of the Court regarding the case.

Even the Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) had submitted a representation to the central government expressing objection to the appearance of Tiwari, who is a junior advocate.

On March 5, the High Court had granted bail to Kumar and others after admitting the appeal of the CBI.

The trial court had acquitted Kumar and others in the riots case due to lack of evidence in December 2002.

The CBI in its appeal said the acquittal of Kumar, the outer Delhi Lok Sabha member, by the subordinate court was a ''miscarriage of justice''.

The Delhi Police which probed into the riots which claimed lives of more than 2,000 people after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi could not justify its case in the trial court.

UNI