Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar has been convicted by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, nearly 40 years after the violence shook the nation. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja passed the verdict on Wednesday, convicting Kumar for the murder of a Sikh father-son duo, Jaswant Singh and Tarundeep Singh, who were killed in the Saraswati Vihar area of Delhi on November 1, 1984.
Kumar, who was already serving a life sentence in another anti-Sikh riots case from the Delhi Cantt area, was produced before the court from Tihar Jail for the pronouncement of the verdict. The court has scheduled arguments on sentencing for February 18.
What Happened on November 1, 1984?
According to the prosecution, an armed mob carried out large-scale looting, arson, and attacks on Sikhs across Delhi in the aftermath of the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. The mob targeted the Sikh community, burning homes and businesses.
Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh were killed in Saraswati Vihar, their house was looted and set ablaze. The court order held Sajjan Kumar responsible for not just participating in the violence but also leading the mob.
“The court found sufficient material to form a prima facie opinion that he was not just a participant but had also led the mob,” the judgment stated.
“Sajjan Kumar, who led the Sikh massacre 40 years ago, has been convicted. I thank the court for this decision. I also thank PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for forming an SIT to reinvestigate closed cases. This conviction is a result of that effort. We hope to get justice in the Jagdish Tytler case as well,” Kahlon said.
During the trial, defense lawyer Anil Sharma argued that Sajjan Kumar’s name was not included in the original case file. He also pointed out that Kumar’s conviction in another 1984 riots case, which was upheld by the Delhi High Court in 2018, is currently under appeal before the Supreme Court.
On the other hand, Additional Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat rebutted this claim, stating that the victim initially did not know who Kumar was but later identified him by name in her statement.
Senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, who has long represented riot victims, argued that the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were not a series of isolated incidents but part of a larger, well-organized massacre. He cited official figures stating that 2,700 Sikhs were killed in Delhi alone.
Who is Sajjan Kumar?
Sajjan Kumar was a Congress leader and former Member of Parliament. His political career began in 1977 when he was elected to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. He later became a Delhi Councillor and won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Outer Delhi.
Following Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards, several witnesses accused Sajjan Kumar of inciting mobs to attack Sikh homes and businesses. Survivors testified that he led violent mobs and encouraged attacks on the Sikh community.
In 2018, the Delhi High Court convicted Kumar in another 1984 riots case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He has been serving that sentence in Tihar Jail ever since.
