Supreme Court Seeks CBI’s Response on Furlough Plea in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case

The Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to respond to a plea for furlough filed by former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, who is currently serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. This directive came from a bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol, which indicated that it may ask the competent authority to decide on the matter.

Khokhar’s counsel informed the court that his client is seeking furlough for the purpose of maintaining social ties. The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing in April.

Alongside Khokhar, former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar is also serving a life term in the same case. Additionally, Mahender Yadav, a former MLA who was sentenced to 10 years, passed away due to Covid while in Mandoli jail.

Both Sajjan Kumar and Balwan Khokhar have been lodged in Tihar jail since their conviction on December 17, 2018. While Khokhar’s life sentence was upheld by the Delhi High Court in 2018, the High Court overturned Kumar’s acquittal by the trial court in 2013.

The case pertains to the killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar Part-I in Palam Colony, southwest Delhi, on November 1-2, 1984, and the burning down of a gurdwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. The anti-Sikh riots erupted following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards.

The Supreme Court’s intervention underscores the significance of justice and accountability in cases related to communal violence, ensuring that all parties involved receive a fair hearing and appropriate consideration of their legal rights.