Supreme Court’s Judge Recuses from Hearing Sajjan Kumar’s Appeal Against His Conviction

NEW DELHI, India—The Supreme Court of India couldn’t take up the petition of Sajjan Kumar for hearing today as the Judge Sanjiv Khanna, who was appointed to take up the petition, recused himself from the hearing. Notably, Sajjan Kumar had moved this petition against the life sentence addressed to him by the Delhi High Court.

On being approached by the media, the Chief Justice of India Mr. Ranjan Gogoi said that they have deliberated on the matter but can’t reveal what transpired between them. “Now, I will constitute another bench to take up the Sajjan Kumar’s appeal,” he informed.

73 years old Sajjan Kumar had challenged the Delhi High Court’s verdict of convicting him till death on December 23 last year. The prosecution lawyer Advocate HS Phoolka was informed about the Sajjan Kumar’s petition by the Supreme Court via registered post.

It may be recalled here that Sajjan Kumar was imprisoned for life by the Delhi High Court on December 17 in a case pertaining to brutal killing of five members of a Sikh family in the Raj Nagar of Delhi’s cantonment area on November 1, 1984. He had surrendered before a Delhi trial court on December 31 last year to serve life sentence awarded to him by the Delhi High Court.