Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar Sentenced to Life in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in a murder case linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja delivered the verdict for the killing of Jaswant Singh and his son, Tarundeep Singh, on November 1, 1984.
The prosecution and Jaswant Singh’s wife, the complainant, had sought the death penalty for Kumar. While murder carries a maximum punishment of death, the court opted for life imprisonment.
Kumar, currently lodged in Tihar Jail, was convicted on February 12. The court had sought a psychiatric and psychological evaluation report from Tihar, following a Supreme Court directive for such assessments in cases where capital punishment is considered.
Though the case was initially registered at the Punjabi Bagh Police Station, a special investigation team later took over the probe.
The prosecution alleged that a violent mob, armed with deadly weapons, engaged in large-scale looting, arson, and destruction of Sikh properties in retaliation for the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The prosecution claimed that the mob stormed the complainant’s house, killed her husband Jaswant and their son, looted valuables, and set the house on fire.
