New Delhi
Convicted of abetting the murder of five persons in Delhi Cantonment during the November 1984 Sikh carnage, former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar today moved the Delhi High Court, saying he was “shocked” at his conviction and needed time to “settle property matters” within his big family.

Kumar, 73, petitioned the HC for grant of an additional month to surrender, saying he believed in his innocence and wanted time to exercise his statutory right to appeal in the Supreme Court.

Sajjan Kumar sought time until January 31, 2019, to surrender as against the December 31, 2018, the HC had ordered. HS Phoolka, the counsel for survivors Jagdish Kaur and Jagsher Singh who lost five members of their family, said he would oppose the petition. The CBI through its counsel would do the same.

Kumar, in the application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, not only cited his “big family of a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren” to plead time to resolve matters of inheritance, but also told the HC that he needed time to brief senior apex court counsel to file an appeal against the December 17 conviction by the High Court.

“Presently most of the senior advocates are on holiday as the SC is closed for vacation. This applicant is the best person to brief his counsel. The applicant prays that he be granted further extension of 30 days,” Kumar said.