Delhi High Court has expedited hearing on former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar's furlough plea in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, scheduling it for December 5 after granting time for government response.​

Khokhar, serving life imprisonment for murder and rioting, challenged a September 4 jail order rejecting his 21-day furlough application, citing risks to public peace. The court directed Delhi government and jail authorities to file status reports and replies by the next date, advancing it from February 4, 2026. Furlough, distinct from parole, allows temporary release for long-term inmates to maintain family ties after serving sentence portions.​

The case stems from November 1, 1984, when five Sikhs were killed and a gurdwara torched in Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar following Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards. A trial court convicted Khokhar and four others in 2013; Delhi HC upheld it in 2018 while convicting co-accused Sajjan Kumar, overturning his earlier acquittal. Khokhar's Supreme Court appeal against the HC verdict remains pending.​

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Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued notices earlier, reflecting ongoing legal scrutiny in sensitive 1984 riots cases marked by delayed justice and high-profile convictions. Previous furlough and bail bids by Khokhar have faced rejections, including by the Supreme Court seeking CBI responses on conduct reports.​

This development highlights tensions between rehabilitation rights and security in riot-related convictions, with victims' families and Sikh groups often opposing releases amid unresolved trauma from the violence that claimed thousands of lives nationwide.​

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