Lifer for three in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case
10 May 2013 7:43 AM IST
Sessions Court, Karakardooma, on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to three persons – Balwan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal – who were convicted by the court earlier in one of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases. Two others, Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokkar, were given a two-year and a three-year sentence, respectively, for rioting. Earlier, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar had been acquitted by the court.
During arguments in court over the quantum of sentence to be awarded to the five convicts, the CBI demanded death for three who were held guilty for murder by District and Sessions Judge J R Aryan.
CBI prosecutor RS Cheema told the court, ‘It was a planned communal riot in which the victims were isolated.’
‘The victims were totally innocent and they had not instigated anyone. A particular community was targeted, particularly men,’ he said. While acquitting Sajjan Kumar, the court had convicted Balwan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal for murder under section 302 of the IPC which entails death penalty as maximum punishment, while Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokkar were convicted for the offense of rioting only.
The case related to the killing of five persons in Delhi Cantonment area during violence against the Sikhs following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on 31 Oct, 1984. Five Sikhs - Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh – were members of the same family and were killed by the mob in Delhi Cantonment’s Raj Nagar area.
Kehar and Gurpreet were the husband and son respectively of complainant and eyewitness Jagdish Kaur. Raghuvender, Narender and Kuldeep were her brothers.
During arguments in court over the quantum of sentence to be awarded to the five convicts, the CBI demanded death for three who were held guilty for murder by District and Sessions Judge J R Aryan.
CBI prosecutor RS Cheema told the court, ‘It was a planned communal riot in which the victims were isolated.’
‘The victims were totally innocent and they had not instigated anyone. A particular community was targeted, particularly men,’ he said. While acquitting Sajjan Kumar, the court had convicted Balwan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal for murder under section 302 of the IPC which entails death penalty as maximum punishment, while Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokkar were convicted for the offense of rioting only.
The case related to the killing of five persons in Delhi Cantonment area during violence against the Sikhs following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on 31 Oct, 1984. Five Sikhs - Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh – were members of the same family and were killed by the mob in Delhi Cantonment’s Raj Nagar area.
Kehar and Gurpreet were the husband and son respectively of complainant and eyewitness Jagdish Kaur. Raghuvender, Narender and Kuldeep were her brothers.
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