1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Delhi HC dismisses Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking more time to surrender

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking more time to surrender.

The High Court said that it sees no ground for granting the extension of time to Sajjan Kumar to surrender.

73-year-old Kumar had approached the Delhi High Court seeking time till January 30 to surrender to settle family affairs after being recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Earlier, he also appeared before a Delhi court amid tight security in another 1984 riots case in which trial is going on. The trial court adjourned the matter for January 22 after he said that his main counsel was unavailable.

Kumar, accused of instigating a mob to kill Sikhs, surrendered his mobile phone before the court following directions of the high court as per its order convicting him on December 17.

In the application filed before the high court, advocate Anil Sharma, representing Kumar, had said that he needed some more time to file appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the conviction verdict, and the leader has to settle his family matters relating to children and property.

The plea said Kumar is "under shock and surprise" since the time he has been convicted and he believes that he is innocent.

The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on November 1-2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period.

The riots had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two Sikh bodyguards.

In the application, Kumar said he has a big family, including wife, three children and eight grand children and has to settle certain family matters including those related to property.

Kumar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for "remainder of his natural life" in the case by the high court on December 17 which had said the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage" and aided by an "indifferent" law enforcement agency.

The high court had set aside the trial court's verdict which had acquitted Kumar in this case.

(with agency inputs)