Plea of 1984 riots convict to extend interim bail infructuous, relief extended due to Covid-19: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court Friday said the plea by one of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots convicts, who was awarded life imprisonment, for extension of interim bail is infructuous in view of the full court's order extending such relief till October 31 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

A bench of Justices J R Midha and Brijesh Sethi noted that the full bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice D N Patel has already extended till October 31, all the interim orders, which were to expire on or after August 31, in cases before it to prevent spread of Covid-19 infection among jail inmates from someone who returns after expiry of his/her interim bail or parole.

"The application seeking extension of interim bail is infructuous in view of the full bench order," the court said.

The high court on June 1, had suspended by 12 weeks the life term sentence of convict Naresh Sehrawat who was suffering from chronic kidney ailment and was highly vulnerable to a contagious disease like Covid-19.

During the hearing, advocate Kamna Vohra, appearing for the state, said following the full bench order, she was not opposing the plea for extension of interim bail.

However, she pointed out that Sehrawat has not placed any follow up treatment record before the court.

On June 1, while granting relief to Sehrawat, the high court had noted that he was a chronic kidney disease, stage-IV patient and was admitted in the medicine ward of the Central Jail hospital and was highly vulnerable to a contagious disease like Covid-19.

He had sought interim suspension of sentence for three months on the ground that he needs to undergo liver and kidney transplant simultaneously and at the earliest.

A special investigation team (SIT) was earlier set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs to reinvestigate the riot cases.

The trial court had awarded death penalty to convict Yashpal Singh and life term to Naresh Sehrawat in the case relating to the killing of two men in New Delhi during the 1984 riots -- the first convictions in the cases reopened by the SIT.

Sherawat has also appealed against his conviction and the sentence before the high court which is pending.

The death reference as well as appeal of Singh against the capital punishment awarded to him is also pending in the high court.