May 3, 2008 Ex-army Officer gets
Life Term
for 1982 Murder
New Delhi
Lt. Col. (retd) S.J. Choudhary was Saturday sentenced to life
imprisonment for murdering automobile dealer Krishan Sikand in the
capital's upscale Sundar Nagar neighborhood in 1982.
Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal held Choudhary, 72, guilty
under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as
sections 3 and 4 of the Explosives Act. He was also fined Rs.10,000.
Reacting to the judgement, Choudhary, who was convicted Monday,
pointed fingers at the mediapersons alleging that media had always
reported only one side of the matter and they "never ever approached
me".
“All the media reports must have an impact on you,” Choudhary told
the judge.
She replied, “I don't go by what media is reporting. They write
against me too.”
Choudhary, who looked tense the day before when the court heard
arguments on the quantum of sentence, was calm and composed
Saturday. Wearing a light blue shirt and dark blue trousers, he was
in constant touch with his lawyer and family.
The court had convicted Choudhary for sending a parcel bomb that
killed Sikand Oct 2, 1982.
According to the prosecution, Chaudhary was angry because his
divorced wife had decided to move in with Sikand and the two had
planned to get married.
The CBI had also alleged that the bomb used in the murder was made
in Pakistan and was seized by the Indian Army following its victory
in the 1971 war.
After the arrest and the filing of the charge sheet, the trial began
May 31, 1984 and the process of recording evidence continued for 15
years.
Despite all odds, the victim's 98-year-old father H.D. Sikand
continued to make attempts for a speedier probe.
The convict's brother Kanwaljeet Choudhary told IANS: “I only want
to clarify one thing that the delay in the case was due to the
prosecution side and not from our side. The prosecution has taken 23
years and four months to complete examining of witnesses.”
Also present in the courtroom was Choudhary's elder daughter Sonal,
who refused to talk to the media. “Media always reported one side of
the story,” she said.
Choudhary refused to leave the court without getting a copy of the
order. He told the 43 Delhi Police officials accompanying him:
“Don't worry, I will not run away at this age.”
Sanjay Sikand, son of Krishan Sikand, told the media: “It's an
emotional moment for us. I have no word to speak. We are satisfied
with the judgement and finally after 26 years of a long legal battle
my family and I will be at peace.”
However, the judge did not agree with the prosecution's demand that
Choudhary be given the death penalty.
It argued that the motive behind the ghastly crime was Choudhary's
anger that his divorced wife Rani had decided to move in with Sikand
and the two planned to get married.
However, the defence alleged that Sikand had taken advantage of his
position in society and had been already living with the woman
before her formal divorce.
"The accused is 72 years old and has served the country and won
several awards while serving in the army," said defence counsel S.P.
Minocha, arguing against the prosecution's demand for maximum
punishment.
He said Choudhary had taken care of Rani's two daughters and brought
them up well even though she had left him.
A family member told the media that they no clue on Rani's
whereabouts and she had not been in touch with them.
During the prolonged trial, the Sikands had approached the Delhi
High Court several times to speed up the proceedings. The case
documents ran into a few thousand pages.
Chronology of Events
Following are the major milestones in the case:
Oct 2, 1982: Krishan Sikand killed in an explosion at his Sundar
Nagar residence as he opens a parcel containing a bomb.
Aug 1, 1983: Lt Col. (retired) S.J. Choudhary arrested.
Aug 5, 1983: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seizes a
typewriter used for writing the address on the envelope of the
parcel bomb.
April 23, 1984: A city court frames charges for murder and use of
explosives against Choudhary.
July 22, 1999: The court starts recording statement of the accused.
Nov 29, 2000: The court starts day-to-day hearing.
April 10, 2002: H.D. Sikand, father of the victim, approaches Delhi
High court seeking a quick trial.
April 18, 2007: The high court disposes of the petition, directs the
court to spare time to conclude the trial at the earliest.
April 2, 2008: Final arguments concluded.
April 28, 2008: The court convicts Choudhary.
May 3, 2008: Choudhary sentenced to life imprisonment.
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