‘Not a Small Case’: SC Refuses Bail to Sajjan Kumar in 1984 Case

Kumar, who is serving a life sentence in an anti-Sikh riots case, had filed an interim bail plea on medical grounds.

Sajjan Kumar.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

The Supreme Court on Friday, 4 September, refused to grant bail to former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

The court pointed out that his medical report stated that his hospitalisation is not needed at the moment and thus, he should not remain in the hospital, news agency ANI reported. It further reportedly said that Kumar’s appeal against the conviction and sentencing in the case may be taken up for hearing once the court starts physical hearing of cases .

Kumar, who is serving a life sentence in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, had filed an interim bail plea on medical grounds.

“This isn’t a small case. We cannot grant bail,” a bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian were quoted as saying.

What Was He Convicted and Sentenced For?

The case in which Kumar was convicted and sentenced relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on 1-2 November in 1984, and burning down of a gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II, PTI reported.

The offences for which he was convicted included criminal conspiracy, abetment in commission of crimes of murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of communal harmony.

After his conviction and sentencing, he had quit the Congress.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)