New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) A Delhi court on Tuesday awarded death penalty to convict Yashpal Singh two persons in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and injuring three others, the first capital punishment in the case and also awarded life term to co-convict, retired postmaster Naresh Sehrawat.
Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Ajay Pandey sentenced transporter Yashpal Singh to death for murdering Hardev Singh and Avtar Singh by setting them on fire in the riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 and also imposed a fine of Rs 35 lakh to each.
It was alleged that over 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India while 2,100 of them in Delhi after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by a Sikh bodyguard.
On Tuesday a large security deployment has been made outside the court.
Hardev Singh's brother Santokh Singh filed a complained before the court against both the sentenced person.
Special Investigation Team (SIT) took over the probe in the matter when Delhi Police closed the case in 1994 for lack of evidence.
It was submitted on behalf of the SIT that it was a "brutal murder of two innocent young persons aged around 25 each. It was a planned murder since the accused were carrying kerosene oil, sticks etc."
UNI XC SDR 1749