Sikand murder: bail plea of ex army officer dismissed

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of Lt. Col. (retd) S.J. Choudhary, serving life imprisonment for murdering automobile dealer Krishan Sikand in the capital's upscale Sunder Nagar neighbourhood in 1982.

A bench comprising of Justices B.N. Chauturvedi and P.K. Bhasin dismissed Choudhary's bail plea stating that they will hear his appeal first and will then decide on the bail issue.

Choudhary had earlier challenged his conviction, which is still to be heard by the court.

A city court had on May 4, 2008 awarded life imprisonment to Choudhary after convicting him under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code as well as section 3 and 4 of the explosives act along with a fine of Rs.10,000.  

The court had convicted Choudhary for sending a parcel bomb that killed Sikand Oct 2, 1982.

The CBI had said that Choudhary killed the victim Sikand because he was seeing the army officer's wife and planned to marry her. The wife of the convicted officer was living separately and later made friends with the victim and moved into his house in Sunder Nagar here, the CBI had said.

The CBI had also alleged that the bomb (hand grenade) used in the murder was made in Pakistan and was seized by the Indian Army following its victory in the 1971 war.