New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI): The Delhi High Court today (December 17) convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case.

The High Court reserved its order on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pleas that challenged the trial's court judgment where Sajjan Kumar was acquitted and five others were convicted in the case.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel delivered the verdict in the case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

The CBI had filed an appeal challenging the acquittal of Kumar and said that the trial court "erred in acquitting Sajjan Kumar as it was he who had instigated the mob during the riots".

In 2013, the trial court had convicted five others - former councillor Balwan Khokkar, former legislator Mahender Yadav, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal - for their involvement in the case.

Sajjan Kumar and five others were tried in the case involving the killing of five Sikhs - Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, who were members of the same family - by a mob in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar area.

The five convicts have filed appeals against their conviction and sentencing. The CBI filed appeals and alleged that all of them "planned communal riot" and were involved in "religious cleansing" after the then Prime Minister's assassination. The crime investigating agency also challenged Sajjan Kumar's acquittal.

The case against Sajjan Kumar and others was registered in 2005 on a recommendation by the Justice GT Nanavati Commission.