Sajjan Kumar convicted: HS Phoolka resigned as Opposition leader to fight case in Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 17: Advocate HS Phoolka and Manjinder Singh Sirsa (SAD MLA) celebrated outside Delhi High Court after Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Phoolka, an Aam Aadmi Party leader, has been representing the riot victims since the beginning before the Supreme Court, the Delhi high court and various trial courts.

He has been pursuing cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots for the past over 30 years as an advocate and then as a senior advocate, completely pro bono (doing work without any charge).

After the Delhi Bar Council disallowed Phoolka from appearing for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in several cases against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and others on the ground that as leader of opposition in Punjab assembly he enjoyed an office of profit, he gave up the cabinet-rank post in the state to return to Delhi and fight the cases.

Phoolka had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Punjab on an AAP in 2014, had won the assembly election earlier this year. After that AAP, which had won 20 seats in the 117-member house and emerged as the largest opposition party, had made him the leader of the opposition.

He served as member-secretary of the Justice Narula Committee formed in 1993 to probe the carnage. He was later appointed the counsel for Central Government in January 2001. He is known as a lawyer who won't take up a case if he finds that the client is in the wrong.