Sajjan Kumar was awarded life imprisonment by Delhi High Court for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. (Express file photo/Praveen Khanna)Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was sentenced to life for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, is expected to surrender on Monday, the last day of the deadline set by Delhi High Court.
On December 17, Kumar was found guilty in a case pertaining to the killing of five members of a Sikh family during the riots. The High Court had sentenced Kumar to the “remainder of his natural life” in the case, saying the riots were a “crime against humanity” perpetrated by those who enjoyed “political patronage” and aided by an “indifferent” law enforcement agency.
The court had also directed him to surrender by December 31 and turned down a plea by him seeking an extension of the deadline till January 30. Kumar had contended that he had a big family and had to settle certain matters, including those related to property.
On December 23, the former Congress leader moved the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict, seeking an urgent hearing and quashing of the sentence. In his plea before the apex court, he had contended that the finding of the High Court was “erroneous” and that he was wrongly punished.
The plea also contended that there was no evidence to substantiate the conspiracy charges against him or that he even knew the other co-accused.
Earlier, in April 2013, a special CBI court had acquitted Kumar in the case. The CBI and relatives of victims of the riots had appealed against the acquittal in the Delhi High Court.
