Ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar Convicted In Murder Case Of 2 Sikhs During 1984 Riots

With a Delhi Court finding former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar guilty, it is his second conviction with respect to 1984 anti-Sikh riots and he faces two more cases.

The conviction order was passed by Special judge Kaveri Baweja and the arguments on sentence will be heard on Feburary 18.

The case attracts a maximum punishment of death penalty and life-term imprisonment as the minimum sentence.

Kumar was produced before court from Tihar jail for the pronouncement.

The case relates to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984.

Though Punjabi Bagh police station registered the case initially, a special investigation team later took over the investigation.

On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kumar, finding a "prima facie" case against him.

According to the prosecution, a huge mob, armed with deadly weapons, resorted to large-scale looting, arson and destruction of properties of Sikhs to avenge the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The mob attacked the house of the complainant, Jaswant's wife, killing her husband and son apart from looting articles and setting their house ablaze, alleged the prosecution.

Putting Kumar on trial, the court order found sufficient material to form a "prima facie opinion that he was not only a participant, but had also led the mob".

Kumar was awarded life imprisonment by the high court in a case over the killings of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar Part-I area in Palam Colony of southwest Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II.

His appeal against the conviction is pending in the Supreme Court.

Two other appeals are currently pending before the high court against his acquittal in two other cases by the trial courts.

In the Delhi trial courts, there are two cases pending against Kumar, including one related to the violence near a Gurdwara situated in Gulab Bagh, Nawada, in which a judge put him on trial in August 2023.

A Delhi court is also conducting trial in a case related to riots in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas in 1984.

According to a report of Nanavati Commission, constituted to probe the violence and its aftermath, there were 587 FIRs filed in Delhi in relation to the riots that saw killings of 2733 people. Of the total, about 240 FIRs were closed by police as "untraced" and 250 cases resulted in acquittal.

Only 28 cases of 587 FIRs resulted in convictions, in which about 400 persons were convicted. About 50 were convicted for murder, including Kumar.

Currently there are about 20 cases pending in various courts in the national capital.

(With PTI inputs)