Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in inciting the heinous mob violence behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, specifically for the death of a father-son Sikh duo in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar. The verdict was delivered by a special court on 25 February following his conviction on 12 February.
Kumar was accused of leading a violent mob that burned Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh alive on November 1, 1984. The prosecution, led by Additional Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat, argued that Kumar played a crucial role in inciting and orchestrating the mob violence. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe into the case reportedly presented multiple eyewitness, testimonies, including from the complainant and the victim’s family members, who identified Kumar as the key instigator.
The wife of the deceased, who was also the complainant, urged the court to impose the maximum penalty of death on Kumar. Advocate HS Phoolka – a reknowned expert on the case who has also written a book containing first-hand accounts of the pogrom – said that the court has given the maximum jail sentence possible given Kumar’s old age, however he too advocates for the death penalty to Kumar.
The defense argued that the complainants came forward after a significant delay of seven years. Such a delay also made eyewitness testimonies unreliable. However, the court found overwhelming evidence against Kumar. The court also sought a report from Tihar Jail on Kumar’s Psychiatric and psychological evaluations as is the process for those facing capital punishment.
The prosecution and several Sikh leaders expressed their disappointment at Kumar not being handed the death penalty. Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee general secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon was quoted by ANI saying. “We are upset that someone like Sajjan Kumar was not given the death penalty. However, after 41 years, justice has prevailed.”
Who was Sajjan Kumar?
Kumar was deemed a loyalist of Indira Gandhi’s son, Sanjay Gandhi – whose mother’s assassination triggered the widespread violence against the Sikhs. He was reportedly a corporator and a bakery owner before stepping into politics. was sworn in as Delhi Councillor in 1977 and later became General Secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Delhi. was elected to the seventh Lok Sabha from Outer Delhi constituency on a Congress and re-elected in 1991. He won again in 2004 with record votes numbering over 8.5 lakhs.
This conviction is not the first that has been handed down to Kumar related to the 1984 riots. In 2018, the Delhi High Court, sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment’ Raj Nagar are. That case was considered part of the broader patten of violence against the Sikh community. Kumar’s team had appealed against that decision in the Supreme Court, the verdict to which is still pending.
Previous convictions
According to several reports, definitive legal action against Kumar has long been protracted due to political influence and witness intimidation. Initial police investigations failed to hold him accountable, and it was only after the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission’s recommendations that the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) took up the case. It was later discovered during the CBI’s investigations that Kumar had conspired with the local police to have evidence against him erased.
In 2010, Kumar was charged with multiple offences pertaining to the 1984 riots, including murder and criminal conspiracy. He was acquitted for the charges in 2013. However, following a challenge by the CBI, he later found guilty and convicted in 2018. Since then he has made multiple pleas for bail, all of which have been rejected by the Supreme Court.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots erupted in retaliation to the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. The assassination itself was in retaliation to Operation Blue Star, which was a military operation in June 1984 aimed at removing Sikh militants, including radical Sikh preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, from the Golden Temple Harminder Sahib in Amritsar. Gandhi’s assassination triggered widespread violence against the Sikh community, widely believed to have been perpetrated by the government in power at the time – particularly in Delhi – where thousands were killed in mob lynchings and demonstrations, and lakhs’ properties were destroyed.
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Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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