Have 8 Grandchildren, Need More Time To Surrender: Anti-Sikh Riot Convict Sajjan Kumar’s Plea

New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, has pleaded before the Delhi High Court additional 30 days to surrender. The court had on December 17 sentenced him to life imprisonment and had given time till December 31st to surrender before the police.

1. Kumar’s plea is likely to be heard on Friday.

2.He was held guilty be the High Court in connection with the murder of five members of a family in the aftermath of the killing of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in October 1984.

3. In his prayer for more days to surrender, Kumar said he needs to settle property related matters as he has three children and eight grandchildren.

4. He resigned from the primary membership of Congress following the court’s ruling.

5. H S Phoolka, senior counsel appearing for the victims, told ANI he would oppose Kumar’s plea tomorrow.

6. The High Court had reversed a trail court order which had acquitted him in the case.

7.The High Court also slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him in the case.

8.“What happened in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister was carnage of unbelievable proportions in which over 2,700 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone. The law and order machinery clearly broke down and it was literally a ‘free for all’ situation which persisted. The aftershocks of those atrocities are still being felt,” justice S Muralidhar and justice Vinod Goel said while handing the 203-page judgement on December 17.