Supreme Court to Rehear 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case in July

The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas from former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and ex-councillor Balwan Khokhar concerning their sentences in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The July hearing will involve trial court records, and the CBI must respond to Khokhar's plea for reprieve.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear pleas filed by ex-Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and former councillor Balwan Khokhar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case this July. Both are contesting sentences related to the violence that erupted post-Indira Gandhi's assassination.

A bench led by Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice Aravind Kumar clarified that if the final hearing does not proceed as planned, the petitioners can request a suspension of sentences. The court has also summoned trial court records for all parties involved.

The apex court has tasked the CBI with responding to Khokhar's plea for reprieve. Khokhar's life sentence had previously been upheld by the Delhi High Court, while Kumar was acquitted by a trial court in 2013 but later had this overturned. The complex case features multiple legal twists spanning decades.

(With inputs from agencies.)