Sajjan Kumar moves top court against conviction in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case

New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging the life imprisonment awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. 

Senior advocate H S Phoolka, who is representing the victims of the riots cases, said he has been conveyed by the the apex court registry that Kumar has filed an appeal against the high court's judgement.

He said the victims had already filed a caveat to pre-empt any ex parte hearing in favour of Kumar.

Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life for the remainder of his life by the high court on December 17 in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Raj Nagar area.

The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on November 1-2, 1984, and burning down a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period.

The riots had broken out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two Sikh bodyguards.

The high court had on Friday rejected Kumar's plea seeking extension of time till January 30 to surrender for serving his punishment.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel said it saw no grounds to grant him the relief and rejected his application. It had asked Kumar to surrender by December 31.

The former Congress leader had sought more time (till January 30) to surrender, saying he has to settle the family affairs related to his children and property and also needs time to file appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court verdict.

The application had said Kumar was "under shock and surprise" since the time he has been convicted and he believes that he is innocent.

The high court in its judgement had said that the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage" and aided by an "indifferent" law enforcement agency. It had set aside the trial court's verdict which had acquitted Kumar in the case.