The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned to September 24 the hearing on pleas filed by former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and ex-councillor Balwan Khokhar challenging their convictions and sentences in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi deferred the matter as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was not available for the proceedings.
The case relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi’s Raj Nagar Part-I, Palam Colony, on November 1–2, 1984, and the torching of a gurdwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. These incidents were part of the widespread violence that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
In 2018, the Delhi High Court upheld Khokhar’s life sentence and overturned Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal by a trial court in 2013, convicting him in connection with the killings.
Khokhar has sought relief from his life sentence, pointing out that he has already served nearly 8.7 years in prison. His bail plea was earlier dismissed by a court on February 3, 2023. He also highlighted that his request for furlough was rejected by prison authorities on September 26, 2024, citing fears that his release could trigger unrest and disturb peace in society.
In July 2024, the Supreme Court had asked the CBI to respond to Khokhar’s plea for reprieve. Kumar, too, has challenged his conviction in the apex court.
