Delhi HC grants furlough to Sikh riots convict Balwan Khokhar

Justice Ravinder Dudeja granted Furlough to Balwan Khokhar, subject to furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 20000 and one surety in the like amount.

The high court has also imposed conditions, including that he shall not leave the jurisdiction of Police Station Delhi Cantt without prior intimation and shall mark his presence at Police Station on every Tuesday at 10 AM.

While granting Furlough, the bench said that it is well settled that furlough is an established facet of reformation, aimed at enabling a convict to maintain family and social ties and todischarge essential obligations.

" The Court is mindful of the fact that the offence committed by the petitioner is of a grave nature, but to deny furlough to him would amount to a mechanical application of the Rules, defeating the very objective underlying furlough jurisprudence," Justice Dudeja said on December 5.

Advocate Vignaraj Pasayat, alongwith Advocate Naman Agarwal and Uday Chauhan.

The high court also noted the submissions that the petitioner has been in judicial custody for about 11 years and 10 months. His conduct in jail, as per Nominal Roll, has been "Satisfactory".

The counsel also submitted that he has been working as a Sahayak at OPD. The Nominal Roll also reflects that the petitioner had been previously released on multiple spells of interim bail, parole and furlough on various occasions and had duly surrendered and not misused the liberty granted to him.

The Delhi government dismissed Khokhar's application. Thereafter, he challenged the order before the High Court.

Khokhar moved a petition through advocate Uday Chauhan. It was stated that the petitioner is a convict and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He is serving a life sentence and has been in custody since 2013.

He sought a Furlough for a period of 21 days to re-establish social ties with Society and Family members, the plea said. (ANI)