Delhi High Court To Hear Sajjan Kumar’s Appeal In 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Murder Case In November

The Delhi High Court will hear on November 19 an appeal by former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar challenging his conviction and life imprisonment in a murder case linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, PTI reported.

The appeal, initially scheduled before a bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain, could not be taken up, leading to the new date being fixed for November.

Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court on February 25, which cited his age and illness as factors favouring a lesser sentence instead of the death penalty. The court noted that while the killings of two victims, Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh, were serious offences, the case did not fall under the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment, PTI reported.

The murders occurred on November 1, 1984, and were linked to the broader violence following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Kumar, a prominent Congress leader and sitting MP at the time, had previously been convicted by the Delhi High Court on December 17, 2018, for causing the death of five people in Palam Colony during the riots.

The trial court held that the November 1 killings formed part of the same incident, representing a continuation of the rioting for which Kumar had already been sentenced. It found him guilty of participating in a mob that set the victims’ house on fire, killed the two individuals, and looted their belongings. In addition to life imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of approximately Rs 2.4 lakh, PTI reported.

According to the Nanavati Commission report, 587 FIRs were filed in Delhi related to the 1984 riots, which claimed 2,733 lives. Of these, around 240 FIRs were closed as “untraced,” and 250 cases ended in acquittals. Only 28 FIRs resulted in convictions, leading to the conviction of roughly 400 people, including about 50 individuals for murder, PTI reported.

Kumar’s appeal against his conviction and punishment remains pending before the Supreme Court.

Where is Sajjan Kumar now?

Sajjan Kumar is presently imprisoned in Tihar Jail, New Delhi, serving life sentences in connection with his convictions for involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

What happened on 31st October 1984?

On 31 October 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, at her residence in New Delhi. This assassination triggered widespread anti-Sikh violence, especially in Delhi, as mobs attacked Sikh homes, businesses, and individuals in the ensuing days.

(With inputs from PTI)