Prosecution seeks gallows for convicts in anti-Sikh riots case

NEW DELHI: The prosecution on Wednesday sought death penalty for three convicts, who were held guilty by a Delhi Court for lynching three members of a family in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Chief Public Prosecutor YPS Ahluwalia, advancing arguments before Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri on quantum of punishment, said the offence committed by them fell under the 'rarest of rare' category, warranting death penalty.

"This is a triple murder which was committed with a proper planning and in a gruesome manner," he said, seeking deterrent punishment for them.

The court had on March 26 held three accused, Harparsad Bhardwaj, RP Tiwari and Jagdish Giri, guilty of killing three members of a Sikh family including a Delhi Police Head Constable in the riots which broke out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.