1984 anti-Sikh riots: HC asks Delhi govt to respond to Balwan Khokhar’s furlough plea

Delhi High Court has given the city government additional time to place its reply on record in a petition filed by former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, who is serving a life term for his role in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Khokhar has sought furlough to restore his links with his family and community. Justice Ravinder Dudeja also agreed to his request for an early hearing, bringing the matter forward from February 4, 2026 to December 5.

The court directed the government and prison authorities to file their status report before the next date.

Notice on the petition had previously been issued to the government and the jail administration. Khokhar has challenged the jail authorities’ decision of September 4 declining his request for furlough on the ground his temporary release could disturb public order. He has asked for a 21-day first spell of furlough to reconnect with his family.

Furlough is a short-term release granted to inmates who have served a substantial part of their sentence. It is not a suspension or reduction of sentence, but an opportunity for prisoners to maintain social ties.

Khokhar was found guilty in 2013 along with four others for offences including murder and rioting. The case concerns the killing of five Sikh men and the burning of a gurdwara in Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad, on November 1, 1984, the day after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In the same trial, former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was acquitted.

In December 2018, the High Court upheld Khokhar’s conviction and sentence and reversed Kumar’s acquittal. Khokhar’s challenge to the 2018 judgment is still pending before the Supreme Court.