Sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of abetting the murder of five Sikh men during the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom in Delhi, Congress leader and former Indian parliamentarian Sajjan Kumar had asked for more time from the court to surrender.
However, the Delhi High Court rejected his plea.
Kumar lodged an application in the Delhi High Court, seeking a time until 31 January 2019 instead of 31st December, to surrender.
The Delhi High Court, on December 17, found Sajjan Kumar guilty and reversed the trial court’s order to acquit him in the case of murder of five Sikh men in Delhi Cantonment on 1 November 1984 in the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
In his application, he cited his “big family” of a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren and said he needed time to settle “property matters”, The Tribune reported.
He claimed innocence in the case he has been convicted and pleaded for more time in order to prepare to file an appeal against the High Court’s decision in India’s Supreme Court.
“Presently most of the senior advocates are on holiday as the SC is closed for vacation. This applicant is the best person to brief his counsel. The applicant prays that he be granted a further extension of 30 days,” Kumar said.
Other than Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress councillor, Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal and three others were found guilty in the murder of the five men Raj Nagar area of Delhi.
He is facing another court case in relation to a murder that took place in Trilokpuri area.
He quit the Congress party a day after the court delivered the verdict.
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