The Apex Court Judge Justice Sanjeev Khanna on Monday recused himself from hearing the plea filed by Sajjan Kumar challenging the Delhi Court Judgement that sentenced him to who life term Imprisonment in connection with 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case.
‘My Brother (Justice Sanjeev Khanna) want to hear,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Khanna said at the outset.
Bail application of Sajjan Kumar ( in file pic) in 1984 Anti-Sikh riots case: Justice Sanjiv Khanna of the Supreme Court bench, which was hearing the case, recuses himself. Now the matter will be listed before another bench of the Supreme Court for a detailed hearing in the case. pic.twitter.com/Uwfbj9DuOP
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2019
The bench then ordered that the plea of Kumar be listed before an appropriate bench to which Justice Khanna was not part and adjourned the hearing.
The Top Court had on January 14 last month issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Kumar’s plea against the order as well as his bail plea and sought the agency’s reply within six weeks. It had also allowed the former Congress leader to file “lengthy list of dates” and “additional facts and grounds” in favour of his appeal.
Earlier, Sajjan Kumar, who has been awarded a life sentence by the Delhi High Court in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, surrendered before the Karkardooma Court on Monday, December 31st – a date that was set as a deadline by the court to surrender. Later, the court had sent him to Mandoli Jail.
READ: 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Delhi HC convicts Sajjan Kumar, sentenced to life imprisonment
However, Kumar had moved to the top court before surrendering but the plea was not taken up by the court before 31st December so Kumar has to comply with the Delhi High Court Order.
Earlier on December 17, While reversing the acquittal of a trial court, The Delhi High Court convicted Congress Leader and Former MP Sajjan Kumar and sentence him life imprisonment in connection to 1984 anti-Sikh riots that took place in the capital following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indra Gandhi. He has to surrender by 31st December 2018. Delhi High Court on December 17 had also extended the life imprisonment of other two convicts, Kishan Khokkar and former legislator Mahendra Yadav from 3 years to 10 years.
On December 21st, Delhi HC rejected Congress Leader Sajjan Kumar’s request seeking more time to surrender after he was convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Kumar had approached the Delhi High Court to seek more time, till January 31, to surrender, saying that he has three children and eight grandchildren and needs to settle matters related to his property.
As per the official records, more than 2700 Sikhs were killed across the nation after the Assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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