The PAC men sentenced in the Hashimpura massacre case of 1987 will have to surrender before the court on or before 22 November if they fail to get a relief from the Supreme Court.
Sixteen PAC personnel were sentenced to life in prison after they were found guilty of killing unarmed members of the minority community in Hashimpura by the Delhi High Court. The court directed them to surrender on or before 22 November.
The convicted PAC personnel are planning to appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict.
“The accused have an option to go in the appeal in Supreme Court against the verdict of Delhi High Court,” said senior advocate Om Prakash Sharma, adding that the accused could appeal in the court to suspend their punishment. If this appeal is accepted by the court than the accused need not surrender.
Though the accused have appealed in the apex court, the chances of getting any relief are very less, said another lawyer, Sunil Sharma. Now the entire case would depend on how the apex court responds to the appeal.
On 22 May 1987 the infamous Hashimpura shootout took place in which the 16 PAC personnel shot dead 42 youth and middle-aged persons of the minority community in Muradnagar. A trial court had acquitted the accused – a verdict that was overturned by the Delhi High Court.