Supreme Court seeks CBI response in Balwan Khokhar plea in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case

New Delhi [India], December 6 : The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a response to Balwan Khokhar's plea seeking suspension of sentence in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
A bench of justices JK Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal asked CBI to file the reply to Khokhar's plea seeking suspension of sentence.
In his plea filed through advocate Rakesh Dahiya, he apprised the top court that specific direction of the top court to consider the applicant's application for furlough, expeditiously, the Jail authorities rejected the application only on September 26, 2024, that too wholly frivolous, non-existent and unfounded ground that release of the applicant will invite adverse repercussions and may disturb peace and tranquillity result in unrest in the society.
The applicant Khokhar also said that he had also moved an intervening application seeking bail however, by that time the sentence undergone by the applicant was 8 years 7 months only but it was dismissed vide order dated February 3, 2023.
Khokhar has challenged the High Court order dated December 17, 2018. Khokhar along with Sajjan Kumar had been convicted under various counts of Indian Penal Code in the case among others and is undergoing a life sentence and lodged in the Central Jail, Tihar, Delhi.
The Trial Court had convicted him in the case arising out of an FIR lodged in the Police Station Delhi Cantt.
Khokhar in his application claimed that he is a senior citizen of 66 years of age and is physically handicapped with 54 per cent permanent disability in the lower limb and suffering from various ailments like diabetes, hypertension with CA, and dyslipidemia, among others.