Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
The Delhi Patiala House Court, on Tuesday, 20 November, pronounced death sentence for one of the convicts in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, Yashpal Singh. The court also announced life imprisonment for another convict in the case, Naresh Sherawat.
Both convicts have been fined with Rs 35 lakh each.
The two were convicted on 15 November for killing two young Sikhs, Hardev Singh and Avtar Singh, in Delhi’s Mahipalpur area in 1984 after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
‘Welcome This Judgement’: Punjab CM
The verdict was hailed by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday. “I welcome this judgement and I do hope now that the other eight pending cases are also taken up by courts and disposed of without any further delay,” Singh told ANI when asked about the court’s verdict.
Senior Advocate HS Phoolka, who had appeared for the victims, also welcomed the verdict and called it a “great victory.”
‘Verdict A Ray of Hope’, Says Union Minister Badal
Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal reacted to the verdict by tweeting that it has given "Sikhs a ray of hope.”
Congress Welcomes Verdict
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the party's stand on the legal process is clear and asserted that there should be no external influences.
"The Congress Party's stand is clear. This is a legal process, a legal process which must be allowed to work out its course and we are very proud, happy and fortunate that it is working out its course," Singhvi told reporters in Delhi, reported PTI.
The verdict was pronounced in the Tihar Jail due to security concerns and attack on the convicts on the premises of the Delhi court.
This is the first sentencing in the case after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) took over the probe.
The Delhi Police had closed the case in 1994 for want of evidence. However, a Special Investigation Team on the riots reopened it.
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