Talks matter more than President’s rule

Editorial

THE imposition of President’s rule in Manipur, a few days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s resignation, is a belated but necessary intervention in a state ravaged by ethnic violence for nearly two years. The conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which has claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands over the past nearly two years, has exposed the failure of both the state and Central governments in maintaining law and order. Article 356 of the Constitution, often criticised as a tool of political manipulation, has in this case been invoked due to an undeniable breakdown of governance. The BJP-led government collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions, unable to quell the violence or even agree on a successor to Singh. This political paralysis, coupled with allegations against Singh, made President’s rule an inevitable outcome.

For the Kukis, this move provides a measure of relief as they had long accused Singh’s administration of bias. However, scepticism remains. Will direct Central control pave the way for reconciliation or will it simply be a holding pattern until the BJP finds a politically expedient way forward? The state’s ethnic divide is deep and any solution must involve genuine dialogue rather than administrative band-aids.

The broader question is whether President’s rule will be used to merely restore the BJP’s control or to genuinely reset Manipur’s fractured political and social fabric. The Modi government, which has largely remained distant from the crisis, must seize this opportunity to initiate meaningful peace-building measures rather than let the state drift into prolonged uncertainty. Anything less would be another betrayal of Manipur’s long-suffering people.

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Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday ordered the dismissal of three government employees, including a police constable, citing their involvement in terror activities, said officials. The officials said the LG invoked Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution…

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday ordered the dismissal of three government employees, including a police constable, citing their involvement in terror activities, said officials.

The officials said the LG invoked Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution to terminate the services of the three employees after an investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies clearly established their terror links. Sources said the dismissed employees had been identified as constable Firdous Ahmad Bhat, school Education Department teacher Mohammad Ashraf Bhat and Forest Department orderly Nisar Ahmad Khan.

Role in killing minister, SI

• Orderly Nisar Ahmad Khan had role in a 2000 blast that killed then Power Minister Ghulam Hasan Bhat
• Constable Firdous Ahmad Bhat found involved in an attack on a police party in 2020
• The attack had led to the killing of Sub-Inspector Ashraf Bhat

The LG’s decision, which has come despite an elected government being in place in the UT, has been criticised by Valley-based political parties. More than 70 government employees have been dismissed in the past few years over terror links by the LG under Article 311. Two employees were fired in November last year, a month after the National Conference came to power.

Reacting to the fresh dismissals, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said everyone was “innocent until anything was proven”. The officials said the dismissed policeman, who was arrested in May last year, was initially appointed as Special Police Officer in 2005 and subsequently promoted as constable in 2011.

Lodged in Kot Bhalwal Jail, Bhat was posted at a sensitive position of Electronic Surveillance Unit in the J&K Police but started working for terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). However, he got exposed when two terrorists—Waseem Shah and Adnan Beigh—were arrested in Anantnag with a pistol and a hand grenade as they were planning to attack non-local civilians and tourists, the officials said.

During the interrogation, Bhat revealed his sinister design and led to the recovery of a sizable quantity of arms, including pistols, ammunition and explosives, from his residential quarter in Police Housing Colony in Srinagar and a newly constructed house in Mattan, Anantnag.

Using his police constable cover, he was transporting arms, ammunition and explosives for terrorists and investigation also revealed that he was working for Hizbul Mujahideen’s commander Khursheed Dar and LeT terrorist Hamza Bhai and Abu Zarar, besides Jutt. “He not only provided classified information about security forces movement, collection, storage and delivery of arms ammunition, but also guided terror attacks,” the officials said.

They said he was also found involved in an attack on a police party in 2020, which led to the killing of Sub-Inspector Ashraf Bhat, an attack on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on May 18 last year that left two persons injured.

The officials said he was also involved in radicalising and luring the youth to join terror ranks, besides using terrorists to blackmail government officials, including his colleagues and businessmen.

They said Ashraf Bhat, a resident of Reasi who was appointed as ‘Rehbar-e-Taleem’ teacher in 2008 and later regularised in June 2013, was affiliated with the LeT. “For many years, his activities were undetected but eventually came to light in 2022 and he was arrested and is currently lodged in Reasi jail,” the officials said.

During the course of investigation, it was revealed that Bhat’s handler was Mohd Qasim, most-wanted LeT terrorist who is based in Pakistan. “The LeT found him useful because as a teacher, Bhat was best placed to radicalise youth and carry out terror activities. He helped the LeT raise finances for terror activities and coordinated transport of arms, ammunition and explosives,” they said.

Khan, who joined the Forest Department in 1996 as a helper and is currently posted as an orderly at the forest range office in Verinag (Anantnag), was found working for Hizbul Mujahideen, the officials said. They said his links with the outfit first came to light in 2000 when a landmine blast in Anantnag killed the then Power Minister Ghulam Hasan Bhat and two policemen. “Khan and another accused had provided logistical support to the terrorists to carry out the attack. He also helped in smuggling RDX used in the blast,” the officials said, adding he was arrested, chargesheeted but later acquitted in 2006 after the “witnesses backtracked”.

Despite his acquittal, Khan continued his work for the terror group. His role was again exposed in 2016 when he played a central role during the Valley’s unrest following the killing of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani, the officials said.

65 from Punjab, 33 Haryana, 8 Guj | Another plane with 157 expected today

A US military plane carrying 117 illegal Indian immigrants, including 65 from Punjab, landed at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport at 11.32 pm on Saturday, said officials.

Apart from the 65 Punjabis, the flight brought back 33 persons from Haryana, eight Gujarat, three Uttar Pradesh and two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, said the officials. One deportee each was from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Five of the deportees were women.

It was the second such batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration within 10 days as part of its promised crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Sources said unlike the first flight, women were not handcuffed and chained this time. The shackling of the deportees during the long flight was widely criticised in India. In response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had assured that the government was engaging with US officials to ensure deportees were treated with dignity. He emphasised that while immigration laws must be upheld, humane treatment should not be compromised.

Immigration officials, Punjab Police personnel and representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Punjab Government were among those present at the airport. A large number of relatives too were waiting anxiously. Considering the exhaustive journey, the local administration had made elaborate arrangements to receive the deportees and had also kept medics ready. An official said arrangements had been made for the overnight stay of deportees from other states, who would depart for their native places tomorrow morning.

On February 5, a US military aircraft carrying 104 Indian illegals had landed at Amritsar. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab. Yet another flight carrying 157 deportees is expected to land on February 16, said officials.

In a tragic turn of events, two soldiers, Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas, lost their lives in an IED explosion triggered by terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector on Tuesday. Both men…

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In a tragic turn of events, two soldiers, Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas, lost their lives in an IED explosion triggered by terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector on Tuesday. Both men were set to marry in April.

RIP brave heart

Capt Karamjit Singh Bakshi who died in an IED blast on LoC in Akhnoor along with Naik Mukesh. He was the only Son.

He was to get married on 05th April 2025.

“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better?
Then facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods.”

Jai Hind

A pall of sorrow descended on Mukesh’s home in Kamila village, Samba district, where his family had been eagerly preparing for his wedding. His father, Chagatar Singh, overwhelmed with grief, recalled, “Mukesh wanted to join the Army since his childhood and was very fond of cricket. He had served in Ladakh, Punjab, and Kashmir before moving to Akhnoor. He returned to his duty on January 28 after completing the housework for his wedding. He was supposed to marry in April, around the 20th or 21st.”

Chagatar Singh shared, “He was a cricket lover, and during his last visit, he even worked hard to prepare a cricket pitch for the youth of the village.” Villagers remembered Mukesh as an enthusiastic cricketer and an extroverted soul who always extended a helping hand. The news of Mukesh’s death sent shockwaves through Kamila, a close-knit village where the tragedy was deeply felt. Mukesh’s mortal remains reached his village, and the final rites were performed by the family later today.

The loss was compounded by the tragic coincidence of Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi’s death. The 29-year-old, from Jharkhand’s Ranchi, had been awaiting his own wedding. He had just returned to duty after finalising preparations for his marriage. His family, who were expecting a celebration, are now grappling with an unimaginable loss.

Karamjit’s father, Ajninder Singh Bakshi, recalled his son’s dedication and sacrifice. Karamjit, the only son, had left his home in Hazaribagh after his engagement to a medical officer in the Army. As news of his death spread, residents of Hazaribagh gathered at his home to pay their respects. The grief was palpable as the community collectively mourned the loss of a young man.

Captain Karamjit’s mortal remains were scheduled to arrive in Ranchi by late Wednesday evening, with the final rites planned for Thursday. In the wake of these tragedies, the families of both Captain Bakshi and Naik Manhas are left to mourn the loss of their sons, whose lives were stolen before they could begin the new chapter in their lives.

(With PTI inputs)

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has expressed concerns regarding delays in the delivery of TEJAS fighter aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Singh stated that he lacks confidence in the state-run plane maker’s ability to meet the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) requirements.

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said he has “no confidence” in HAL and finds that HAL is “just not in mission mode”.

Singh highlighted delays in the deliveries of TEJAS MK-1A fighter jets. He mentioned that he was promised 11 TEJAS MK-1A aircraft would be ready by February, but none were. Contracted deliveries of the TEJAS MK-1A were expected to commence in February 2024.

Singh conveyed the IAF’s requirements and worries to HAL officials, emphasising the need for HAL to boost the IAF’s confidence.

HAL unveiled the TEJAS MK-1A at the Air Show, in an attempt to allay concerns about its readiness for induction into the IAF after delays.

The TEJAS is a light combat aircraft (LCA) designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by HAL for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. It is a multi-role platform designed to undertake Air Defence, Maritime Reconnaissance, and Strike roles. The IAF has ordered 83 TEJAS MK-1A, which will feature updated avionics, an Active Electronically Steered Radar (AESA), an updated Electronic Warfare suite, and Beyond Visual Range missile capability.

The TEJAS program was initiated in 1984 to expand India’s indigenous aerospace capabilities and to replace the aging MiG 21 planes. The aircraft was officially named ‘TEJAS’ in 2003. The first TEJAS squadron became operational in 2016, with No. 45 Squadron IAF -‘Flying Daggers’ being the first to have their MiG-21 Bisons replaced with the TEJAS.

As of 2016, the indigenous content in the TEJAS MK-1 is 59.7% by value and 75.5% by the number of line replaceable units, and the indigenous content of the TEJAS MK-1A is expected to surpass 70% in the next four years.

HAL aims to deliver the 83 TEJAS MK-1A aircraft ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the first tranche within the next three and a half years. However, the initial delivery was originally scheduled for March 31, 2024, but was delayed due to pending certifications and delayed engine deliveries from GE Aerospace.

HAL has set up three manufacturing lines, two in Bangalore and one in Nasik, to deliver 24 aircraft per year. They are also in the final stages of signing a contract for 97 additional TEJAS MK-1A aircraft with the IAF, with delivery expected to be complete by 2031.

ET News

Pak troops violate the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing on a forward post in the Tarkundi area along the LoC, prompting a strong retaliation by the Indian Army

Pakistani troops on Wednesday suffered “heavy casualties” after the Indian Army retaliated befittingly to unprovoked firing from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, security officials said.

The ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Krishna Ghati sector came a day after two Indian Army personnel including a Captain were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion triggered by suspected terrorists near the LoC in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district, the officials said.

They said Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing on a forward post in the Tarkundi area along the LoC, prompting a strong retaliation by the Indian Army.

“Heavy casualties” were suffered by the enemy forces in the retaliatory action, the officials said, without giving any exact figure.

However, the Indian Army neither confirmed nor denied the information.

The officials said a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was injured when he accidentally stepped over a landmine in the same sector this evening.

The JCO, who is a resident of Mendhar, was part of a patrolling party keeping a close vigil on the LoC to prevent infiltration of terrorists, they said, adding the injured officer was evacuated to the military hospital.

There was a deliberate effort by both sides to control the escalation through public messaging

Lt Gen DS Hooda retd.

SIX years ago, on February 14, 2019, a CRPF convoy was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the tragic loss of 40 personnel. Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack. It released a video of the assailant, Adil Ahmad Dar, who had joined the outfit one year earlier.

Indian strategic planners viewed the suicide bombing as an unacceptable provocation that demanded a strong response. In the early hours of February 26, 2019, a formation of Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 aircraft crossed into Pakistani airspace and struck a JeM camp at Balakot, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This was a striking departure from previous engagement patterns, where operations remained confined mainly to areas along the Line of Control (LoC).

The next day, Pakistani fighter jets launched a retaliatory strike in the Jammu sector. In the ensuing aerial engagements, India claimed to have downed an F-16 fighter, while an Indian MiG-21 was shot down, and its pilot, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured by Pakistani forces.

The capture of a serving IAF officer raised the stakes, and there was a brief period of heightened tensions, with reports that India was readying for a missile launch into Pakistan. The situation eased when Pakistan announced that it was releasing Abhinandan as a ‘peace gesture’. Ajay Bisaria, who served as Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad during that time, writes in his book that the release of the pilot was due to India’s “coercive diplomacy, backed by a credible resolve to escalate the crisis”.

Both India and Pakistan claimed victory in the Balakot affair. India had shown that it would not demonstrate passiveness in response to major terror strikes on Indian soil by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail had run its course, and India would use the military instrument to impose costs on Rawalpindi.

Pakistan’s retaliatory strike, named Operation Swift Retort, was also celebrated as a victory. On the first anniversary of the operation, the Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations tweeted: “February 27 commemorates the resolve of Pakistan Armed Forces against any aggression. The way we responded on this day is a proof that any misadventure by enemies of Pakistan will always be defeated.”

As both sides made victorious declarations, there was no incentive to escalate, and the crisis rapidly subsided. However, even in this brief episode of hostilities, there are some important lessons for future crises.

How adversaries view the results of their actions will determine how they behave in the future. The Indian political leadership is determined that it must use its conventional military superiority to deter Pakistan from using terrorism as an instrument of state policy. This now includes the use of airpower, which was considered highly escalatory earlier.

In 2020, then IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhaduria, declared, “Balakot was a clear demonstration that there exists a space within the sub-conventional conflict boundary wherein the Air Force can be used for targeting and yet have escalation control.” Using precision, stand-off weapons, the employment of airpower carries lesser risks than physically sending soldiers across the strongly held LoC, as was done in 2016.

Pakistan, on the other hand, states that it has a ‘Quid Pro Quo Plus’ strategy, implying that it would retaliate against India’s limited military action with a response that is slightly more potent or escalatory while remaining below the threshold that could spark an all-out conflict. If this strategy is to be credible, Pakistan must be prepared to employ its military forces to mount quick, targeted operations.

While India discounts Pakistan’s nuclear bluff, the latter puts it on a higher pedestal. Speaking at an IISS-CISS Workshop in London on February 6, 2020, Lt Gen Khalid Kidwai (retd) stated that the Balakot crisis “amply demonstrated” that “Pakistan’s nuclear weapons continue to serve the purpose for which they were developed… It is precisely the presence of these nuclear weapons that deters, and in this specific case, deterred India from expanding operations beyond a single unsuccessful airstrike.”

These perceptions on both sides of how Balakot played out mean that there is likely to be lesser restraint on using military force in the event of a crisis between the two countries. With diplomatic channels being almost absent, there is a risk of misunderstandings or misinterpretations that can lead to unintended escalation. International mediation can help in a crisis, but India rejects any third-party role in responding to national security threats.

The problem is also exacerbated due to the public rhetoric surrounding events like the Balakot strikes. With a strongman image at stake, social media-driven mass sentiment could put pressure on political leaders to take swift, decisive military action. As Henry Kissinger points out in his book, World Order, “The temptation to cater to the demands of the digitally reflected multitude may override the judgment required to chart a complex course in harmony with long-term purpose. The distinction between information, knowledge and wisdom is weakened.”

Does this throw up scenarios of an India-Pakistan crisis quickly ascending the escalation ladder, bringing nuclear weapons into play? While some Western observers feel that this is a possibility, the reality is different. The scope for the use of military force by India in response to terrorist attacks has indeed widened, but there is also a very deliberate effort by both sides to control the escalation through public messaging.

Following the Balakot airstrikes, the Indian Foreign Secretary issued a statement calling it a “non-military pre-emptive action” with the target selection being “conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties.” The Pakistan Foreign Office statement after their retaliation said the strikes were on “non-military targets, avoiding human loss and collateral damage…We have no intention of escalation but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm.”

That neither side wants to escalate beyond a point is perhaps one silver lining in the lessons from the Balakot crisis.

India is looking to sell the BrahMos to four more countries which have shown interest in it. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Vietnam had shown an interest in getting the supersonic missile, sources said. The missile has already…

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

India is looking to sell the BrahMos to four more countries which have shown interest in it. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Vietnam had shown an interest in getting the supersonic missile, sources said.

The missile has already been sold to the Philippines and negotiations have started with Indonesia. A high-level military delegation from Indonesia is expected to come to India in a few weeks to start a formal dialogue on the use of missile in their country.

Talks with Indonesia on

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Vietnam have reportedly shown an interest in getting the BrahMos

The supersonic missilehas already been sold to the Philippines and talks have started with Indonesia

A high-level military delegation from Indonesia is expected to visit India in a few weeks to start talks

Largely, the countries are seeking a land version of the BrahMos. India last year started the delivery of the BrahMos to the Philippines, which sought a shore-based variant that can be an anti-ship cruise missile, with a range of 290 km. The Philippines is one of the six countries locked in a maritime territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. India has the land, sea and air version of the BrahMos missiles.

Meanwhile, BrahMos Director GeneralJR Joshi, while talking to The Tribune at the Aero India, spoke about the improvement in the missile, saying the trials of the ‘Brahmos NG’ have started.

The trials would be complete by 2026. The NG version is to be mated with the Sukhoi 30MKI fighter jet. The Sukhoi can carry a version of the BrahMos under its belly. It will be installed under the wings of the jet.

On being asked if India could extend the BrahMos beyond its 300 km range, Joshi said: “It all depends on the government. We will be able to do it. We have the capability to enhance the range.”

The BrahMos is a joint venture between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya in 1998. The missile has a maximum speed of 2.8 Mach (around 3,450 kmh).

10 key outcomes in tech, innovation, environment | PM heads to US on 2nd leg of tour

Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service

rime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wound up his “productive” France tour, with the two sides agreeing to co-develop nuclear reactors and deepen civil nuclear energy cooperation.

A decision was taken to declare 2026 as the “India-France Year of Innovation” and a logo for the same was unveiled at the 14th India-France CEOs Forum, which PM Modi addressed on Tuesday. The two sides today signed a Declaration on AI, besides agreeing to speed up collaboration to develop the world’s largest museum, Yuge Yugeen Bharat, in the heart of New Delhi.

In a special gesture of friendship, President Emmanuel Macron came to see off Modi, who departed to the US on Wednesday on the second leg of his two-nation tour. The two leaders exchanged a hug after day-long bilateral engagements during which they discussed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and key global and regional issues.

The letter of intent India and France signed on co-designing, co-developing and co-producing small modular reactors (SMR) and advanced modular reactors (AMR) was a major takeaway from the three-day visit that saw 10 outcomes across sectors of technology and innovation, civil nuclear energy, triangular cooperation, environment, culture and people-to-people relations.

Bilateral discussions happened aboard the French Presidential aircraft in which the leaders travelled to Marseille, over dinner later and were followed by delegation-level talks through Wednesday, which also saw PM Modi and President Macron jointly inaugurating the Indian consulate in the city. “India and France relations touched new heights literally as PM Modi and President Macron held discussions aboard the Presidential aircraft. These discussions continued upon landing in Marseille where the leaders were joined by delegations and discussions over dinner,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri later said.

On the SMR and AMR agreement, the India-France joint statement said, “The two sides stressed that nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy mix for strengthening energy security and transitioning towards a low-carbon economy. Both leaders acknowledged the India-France civil nuclear ties and efforts in cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, notably in relation with the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project.

“They welcomed the first meeting of the Special Task Force on Civil Nuclear Energy and welcomed the signing of a letter of intent on SMR and AMR and the implementing agreement between India’s GCNEP, DAE and France’s INSTN, CEA for cooperation in training and education of nuclear professionals.”

India’s recent declaration to amend the Atomic Energy Act for enabling private entry in the civil nuclear sector will play a key role in advancing the India-France cooperation.

The agreement came a day after Fatih Birol, chief of the International Energy Association, told 300 world leaders at the Paris AI Summit that there was no AI without energy, specifically electricity. “If we get into co-developing SMRs and AMRs, we can leverage the industrial ecosystem in India that exists for nuclear power plants,” said Misri. The joint statement added that the two leaders underlined their common commitment to a free, open, inclusive, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.

A Delhi court on Wednesday held former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar guilty of murder in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in connection with the murder of two persons in Saraswati Vihar area of the national capital.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, who had on February 7 deferred the pronouncement of the verdict till today – posted the matter for hearing arguments on quantum of punishment to be awarded to the convict on February 18.

Kumar (79) is already serving life imprisonment in another anti-Sikh riots related case.

After hearing additional submissions made by Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat, Special judge Baweja had on January 31 reserved the verdict.

Earlier, the prosecution had sought time to further argue on certain points raised by the defence counsel on January 8. Kumar is currently serving life imprisonment in Tihar Jail in another anti-Sikh riots case.

The case relates to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984. Punjabi Bagh police station registered the case and the probe was subsequently taken over by a special investigation team.

On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kumar, finding a “prima facie” case against him.

According to the prosecution, a huge mob, armed with deadly weapons, resorted to large-scale looting, arson and destruction of properties of Sikhs to avenge the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The mob attacked the house of the complainant, Jaswant’s wife, killing her husband and son apart from looting articles and setting their house ablaze, alleged the prosecution.

Putting Kumar on trial, the court order found sufficient material to form a “prima facie opinion that he was not only a participant, but had also led the mob”.

Around 3,000 people, mostly Sikhs, were killed in the anti-Sikh riots that broke out following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards.

Kumar has been in jail since December 31, 2018 when he surrendered after being convicted and awarded life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court in another case relating to 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi in which five Sikhs were killed on November 1-2, 1984, and a Gurudwara was burnt down in Raj Nagar part II. The Supreme Court has refused to grant him bail.