The Supreme Court has called for a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding a petition by Balwan Khokhar, a former Congress councillor, who is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The plea seeks to suspend his life sentence.
Justices J K Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal presided over the bench and have requested Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to secure certificates detailing Khokhar’s conduct and behavior from jail authorities. During the proceedings, Bhati informed the court that Khokhar’s requests for bail had been previously denied three times.
Balwan Khokhar, alongside former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, was convicted in December 2018 for his involvement in the riots that broke out following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Khokhar has been held in Tihar Jail since his conviction. The Delhi High Court had affirmed Khokhar’s sentence in 2018 and also reversed Kumar’s earlier acquittal by the trial court in 2013.
The plea represents a continued legal battle surrounding the infamous riots, which claimed the lives of thousands of Sikhs across India. This case has been closely watched, given the significant political and social implications surrounding the events of 1984.
