1984 anti-Sikh riots: Court dismisses Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking more time to surrender

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Congress leader Sajjan Kumar seeking more time to surrender.

Kumar, who was convicted in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots earlier in the week, was asked to surrender by December 31. However, he had filed a plea seeking 30 additional days to surrender, on account of settling family affairs with regard to property and inheritance.

"The applicant has been on bail throughout the trial and is currently under the state of shock and surprise in view of the conviction. Seeking extension as the applicant has statutory remedy to file an appeal for which he has to engage senior counsel in the apex court. Currently, most of the senior counsels are on leave due to Winter break," read the plea.

The Delhi High Court had sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment, reversing the acquittal granted to him by a trial court in 2013. The case pertains to the murder of five members of a Sikh family in the Delhi Cantonment area during the 1984 riots.

As per official records, over 2,700 Sikhs were killed across India after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.