1984 Anti-Sikh Riots : SC Asks Sajjan Kumar To Appear Before AIIMS Board For Medical Examination On Plea For Bail

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Sajjan Kumar, convicted and serving a life sentence in a 1984 anti-sikh riots case, to appear before an AIIMS Board at 10.30 am on Thursday to determine whether or not he needs to be hospitalized. The Board will submit its report in a week and, based on its findings, a decision regarding his institutionalisation will be taken.

The former Congress MP had moved a bail application before the apex court on health grounds, and his counsel, senior advocate Vikas Singh had asked the court to hear it on an urgent basis. Singh informed the court that Kumar had lost 7 kgs and was dealing with a life threatening disease due to which he must get interim bail to be admitted to hospital for immediate medical attention. Singh also apprised the Bench, comprising of CJI Bobde, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, of Kumar's recent medical report which shows weight loss and submitted that further tests were required to rule out the possibility of malignancy and tuberculosis. The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta doubted the veracity of the report in question, which was admittedly the report of a private doctor from Medanta. Mehta went on to submit that jail medical authorities were giving proper attention and care to his health and refered to a report by AIIMS. This report, he informed, found no malignancy and also ruled out the possibility of tuberculosis. This, however, was a report from 3 months ago noted the CJI, which was acknowledged by the parties. The SG went on to suggest that Kumar needs to be examined by a medical board.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave went on to invoke Kumar's history, and forcefully stated that this was a man who was the MP of a constituency where 660 people died during the riots for which he was directly responsible. Many prisoners with cancer are being treated by government hospitals, he added.

The Bench agreed that the matter was of urgency and took note of the latest Medanta report that further tests need to be conducted as well as the Solicitor's suggestion for an AIIMS Board to do the needful. The Board will now assess how serious Kumar's health issues are