Sajjan Kumar surrenders in court; to be lodged in Mandoli jail

New Delhi, December 31 

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, was brought to Mandoli jail after he surrendered before the Karkardooma court here this afternoon.

The trial court declined the plea of Kumar’s lawyer that he be sent to the high-security Tihar Jail as the case pertains to Delhi Cantonment area, which comes under Tihar Jail’s jurisdiction.

The court was informed by the jail authorities that from Karkardooma court, all convicts are first taken to Mandoli jail and from there, the authorities may shift  them, if they deem it appropriate.

On the court’s direction, Sajjan Kumar was brought to the jail in a prison bus with two escort vehicles. His medical examination was carried out at a Delhi government hospital. He would be lodged in prison number 14.

 Jail personnel, it is learnt, have been asked to ensure that the two-three Sikh prisoners in the jail were kept away from the 73-year-old as a precautionary measure. 

The Delhi High Court had set a deadline of December 31 for the former Congress leader to surrender and on December 21, declined his plea to extend the time.

The High Court had, on December 17, sentenced him to life imprisonment for the “remainder of his natural life”. Subsequently, he resigned from the Congress. The case relates to the killing of five Sikhs in 1984.  

Outside the court complex, a group of Sikhs raised slogans flashing the victory sign. The court was told that the Rs 1 lakh fine imposed by HC was yet to be deposited.

Earlier in the day, former MLAs Krishan Khokhar and Mahender Yadav, who were also convicted in the same case, surrendered to serve their 10-year jail term. They were sentenced to three-year jail by the trial court, but the High Court enhanced their term to 10 years. — PTI/TNS