The Supreme Court has approved bail for eight individuals convicted in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre case.
The Supreme Court has granted bail to eight individuals convicted in the 1987 Hashimpura case, where 38 people were killed by Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) members. A bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih considered arguments from Senior Advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, who represented four of the convicts. Tiwari pointed out that his clients had been in jail for over six years after the Delhi High Court overturned their earlier acquittal by the trial court. He emphasized their good behavior during the trial and appeal process.
Tiwari argued that the High Court’s decision to reverse the trial court’s acquittal was based on incorrect reasons. After reviewing the arguments, the court approved the bail requests for the eight convicts. The Hashimpura massacre took place on May 22, 1987, when PAC personnel from the 41st Battalion’s “C-Company” allegedly rounded up around 50 Muslim men in Hashimpura, Meerut, during communal unrest. The victims were taken away under the guise of being moved to safety and were later shot and their bodies disposed of in a canal.
The event led to the deaths of 38 people, with only five survivors left to share their experiences. In 2015, the trial court cleared 16 PAC members of charges, stating there was not enough evidence to prove their involvement. However, in 2018, the Delhi High Court overturned this ruling and found the 16 guilty of murder, kidnapping, and destroying evidence, sentencing them to life in prison. The convicted individuals appealed the high court’s decision, and their cases are still pending in the Supreme Court.
A chargesheet was submitted against 19 members of C-Company, including their leader Surender Pal Singh. The UP police’s crime branch later accused 66 PAC members of the murders. Among the 19 accused, Om Prakash Sharma, Kush Kumar Singh, and Surender Pal Singh passed away during the trial. The High Court ultimately convicted the remaining 16 former PAC members, sentencing them to life imprisonment. The convicted individuals include Suresh Chand Sharma, Niranjan Lal, Kamal Singh, Ram Bir Singh, Sami Ullah, Mahesh Prasad Singh, Jai Pal Singh, Ram Dhiyan, Arun Kumar, Lila Dhar Lohni, Hamir Singh, Kunwar Pal Singh, Buda Singh, Budhi Singh, Mohkam Singh, and Basant Ballabh.
