Former Congress politician Sajjan Kumar tried to move the court by invoking the 'humanitarian' ground of fending for his children and grandchildren, but even that did not impress the Delhi high court
New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday turned down ex-Congress politician and convict in a case of 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom Sajjan Kumar's plea to let him settle some personal issues and then surrender before the law after a month.
Victim and witness Jagsher Singh had requested the court to not accept Kumar's plea. The victim of the pogrom expressed his satisfaction at the court's decision today. "This is what was expected from the high court," Singh said.
While the court, which has sentenced Kumar for life, had ordered him to surrender by December 31, he appealed to the court that the deadline for surrender be extended by a month. Kumar attempted a humanitarian ground in his plea, saying he had three children and eight grandchildren for whom he has to provide for by settling some outstanding property disputes before surrendering.
Kumar's lawyer said on Friday that his client would require some time to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court.
The particular case, out of some other cases of rioting that Kumar faces, pertains to the incident in Palam Colony of Delhi where five Sikhs were butchered and the gurdwara in Rajnagar Part 2 set on fire. The others accused in this case include Captain (retd) Bhagmal, former MCD councillor from the Congress Balwan Khokhar and Girdhari Lal, who had been sentenced for life by the lower court -- a decision that has been upheld by the high court.
Former MLA Mahendra Yadav and Kishan Khokhar have been convicted in the same case too. They had been sentenced by the lower court for three years each. The high court has increased their jail term to 10 years.
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