SC seeks CBI reply on ex-councillor’s plea for suspension of life term
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the CBI to respond to a petition filed by Balwan Khokhar, a former Congress councillor convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, seeking suspension of his life sentence. A Bench led by Justice JK Maheshwari gave the CBI two weeks to file its reply, after Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati requested time, noting that Khokhar’s bail plea had been rejected three times earlier.
The court also asked the CBI to obtain certificates from jail authorities regarding Khokhar’s conduct. Khokhar, 66, who claims to suffer from multiple health issues, including 54% permanent disability, diabetes, and hypertension, challenged the Delhi High Court’s December 2018 ruling that upheld his life sentence.
The case pertained to the killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar, Palam Colony, and the burning of a Gurdwara during the 1984 riots following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Khokhar, along with former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, are serving life sentences for their role in the violence.
Ex-MLA Mahender Yadav, who was also convicted in the case and sentenced to 10 years in prison, died from Covid-19 while incarcerated in Mandoli jail. Sajjan Kumar and Balwan Khokhar have been lodged in Tihar jail since their conviction on December 17, 2018. Khokhar’s life sentence was upheld by the Delhi High Court, while it overturned Kumar’s acquittal by the trial court in 2013.
