SC seeks CBI response on furlough plea by 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict

New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday asked the CBI to file a reply on a plea for grant of furlough to former Congress Councillor Balwan Khokhar, who was convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol listed the matter after two weeks. During the hearing, the court sought to know whether the furlough application was to attend a marriage, to which Khokhar’s counsel responded that it was for social ties.

Khokkar, in the application filed through advocate Rakesh Dahiya, sought two weeks of furlough.

The application said that Khokkar had been granted furlough/parole/interim bail many times, and he never jumped the bail.

Khokkar preferred the application praying for a furlough of two weeks or urging the court to direct the DG Prisons Delhi to entertain his application.

The Delhi High Court in 2018 upheld the conviction of Balwan Khokhar and other accused persons in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The HC has upheld the trial court order awarding a life sentence to Khokhar.

Sajjan Kumar, the main accused in a case relating to the brutal killing of five members of a family in Raj Nagar in Delhi during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, was convicted by the Delhi High Court in 2018 and was awarded life imprisonment. In 2018, the Delhi High Court overturned the trial court judgement acquitting Kumar in the matter.