The Supreme Court has granted bail to eight convicts in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre case. A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih passed this order. Advocate Amit Anand Tiwari represented the petitioners and argued that the appellants had been in jail for over six years. He added that the appellants were previously acquitted by the subordinate court and had shown good conduct during the trial and appeal process.
Details of the 1987 Hashimpura Massacre
The Hashimpura massacre occurred on May 22, 1987. PAC personnel from C Company of the 41st Battalion allegedly detained around 50 men from the Hashimpura locality in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, amid communal tensions. The victims were then taken to the outskirts of the city, shot, and their bodies thrown in a canal. Out of the 50 victims, only five survived to testify about the incident.
Court’s Decision After Long Legal Battle
In 2015, a trial court acquitted 16 PAC personnel due to lack of evidence. However, the Delhi High Court overturned this decision in 2018. The High Court convicted the 16 accused on charges of murder, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy, sentencing them to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to the eight convicts has brought a significant development in this long-running case.
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