New Delhi, January 3
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the CBI on the bail plea by former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
Khokhar has sought his release on bail mainly on the ground that he has already served almost nine years in jail.
Besides Khokhar, former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar and former MLA Mahender Yadav are also serving life imprisonment and 10-year jail term, respectively, in the case.
Around 3,000 persons were killed in the anti-Sikh riots that broke out following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
On Tuesday, a Bench led by Justice SK Kaul issued notice to the CBI after being told that Khokhar has already undergone eight years and 10 months of imprisonment and was 50 per cent handicapped.
Asking the CBI to respond to his petition, the Bench listed the matter for hearing after four weeks.
Kumar and Khokhar were lodged in Tihar jail after the Delhi High Court convicted them on December 17, 2018, in the case.
The Supreme Court had on September 3, 2021, refused to grant interim bail to former Delhi Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, saying his medical condition was stable.
