Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life in jail in a case related to 1984 anti-Sikh riots. (FILE)
Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, serving a life term in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, was denied interim bail today by the Supreme Court, which deferred a hearing without assigning any date. The former MP had requested bail on medical grounds.
Sajjan Kumar does not need to be hospitalized according to the medical board of Delhi's AIIMS hospital, the Supreme Court said.
"We will consider your bail application in July, not now, sorry," the court said.
Mr Kumar was sentenced to life in jail after he was found guilty in the mob-killing of five members of a Sikh family in Delhi and setting a gurdwara on fire on November 1, 1984 by the Delhi High Court. His was the first big conviction in the case in which several top Congress leaders were accused.
The politician approached the Supreme Court after his bail request was denied by the High Court. His application claimed that he had been in jail since December 2018 and had lost around 10 kg since.
The CBI, opposing his bail, said the case was one of "genocide" and Sajjan Kumar was leading mobs in the anti-Sikh violence that erupted after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
Sajjan Kumar's lawyer Vikas Singh argued that though the 74-year-old politician was sentenced to a life term, it had become death penalty because he could not be taken to AIIMS because of the coronavirus crisis. "If he dies then automatically his sentence is converted to a death sentence," Mr Singh said.
Chief Justice of India SA Bobde replied: "Do not say this."
Ending the hearing, the judges said: "At the moment, we don't want to decide on his bail application."