1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Delhi HC Grants 10-Days Interim Bail To Life Convict Naresh Sehrawat On Grounds Of Mother’s Demise

Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted 10 days’ interim bail to Naresh Sehrawat, a life convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Sehrawat was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 by a Special Judge at the Patiala House Court, alongside his co-accused Yashpal Singh.

Bail Granted To Perform Last Rites

Sehrawat sought interim bail for 14 days citing the death of his mother on October 9. The bail was requested to allow him to perform her last rites. After verifying the fact of the death, a division bench comprising Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain granted Sehrawat interim bail for ten days.

Sehrawat, a resident of Mahipal Pur, Delhi, was ordered to furnish a bail bond of ₹25,000 along with two sureties of the same amount as a condition for his release.

Background

The bench directed that the fact of the mother’s death be verified before granting the relief. Advocate Dharamraj Ohlan appeared on behalf of Sehrawat, moving the application for suspension of sentence to enable the last rites. Advocate Tarannum Cheema represented the Special Investigation Team.

Sehrawat’s appeal against his conviction is currently pending before the division bench. His co-accused, Yashpal Singh, was awarded the death penalty.

Case Details

The case involves the murder of Avtar Singh and Hardev Singh on November 1, 1984, shortly after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The case was reopened and reinvestigated by the Central Government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT).

On November 14, 2018, the Patiala House Court convicted Naresh Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh. The sentencing was carried out on November 20, 2025. In 2019, both convicts had approached the Delhi High Court challenging their convictions.