HC upholds 10 year-jail term of man in a 1984 riots case

The Delhi High Court today upheld the 10-year jail term awarded to a man by a trial court for his involvement in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
Justice R V Easwar dismissed the appeal filed by Shabnam, alias Mukri, against the trial court's order convicting and sentencing him to 10-year jail term under various sections 148 (rioting), 397 (decoity) and 436 (mischief by explosive substance to destroy the house) of the Indian Penal Code.
The court also directed Mukri, who is on bail rpt on bail, to surrender before the trial court within 15 days to undergo the remaining part of the sentence.

According to the prosecution, the FIR was lodged against Mukri on a complaint filed by woman who lost three of her sons in the riot that had broken on November 1, 1984.
As per the FIR, Mukri was part of a mob that had attacked her house in Kalyanpuri area in East Delhi and he was also involved in destroying the properties.
During the trial, the court had dropped murder charge against him saying there was "no evidence" establishing his involvement in the murder but charged him for rioting, decoity and other offences.
In October 1996, the trial court had convicted and sentenced Mukri to 10 year jail along with the fine of 53,000 for the offences.

The anti-Sikh riots had broken out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. Indira Gandhi was shot dead by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence here.