Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress MP, was found guilty on Wednesday in a 1984 case involving anti-Sikh rioting at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court. The case is connected to the November 1, 1984, murder of a father and son team in the Saraswati Vihar neighborhood of the nation’s capital.
The case is scheduled for sentencing arguments on February 18. In another case involving anti-Sikh riots in Delhi Cantt, Sajjan Kumar is presently serving a life sentence.
The conviction order was issued by special judge Kaveri Baweja.
In order to deliver the decision, Sajjan Kumar was brought before the court from Tihar jail. On November 1, 1984, he was found guilty of killing Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh
What took place in 1984?
The prosecution claims that in retaliation for the murder of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, an armed mob engaged in widespread looting, burning, and property destruction against Sikhs.
Singh and his son were slain by the mob, who also ransacked their home. Later, they burned the house down.
According to the court ruling, Kumar led the mob in addition to being a member.
A “prima facie opinion that he was not only a participant, but had also led the mob” was formed based on the court order’s findings.
Jagdip Singh Kahlon, general secretary of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC), praised the court’s decision.
He stated, “Sajjan Kumar, who was leading the Sikh massacre 40 years ago, has been convicted and he would be punished… I thank the court for this… I thank PM Modi and HM Amit Shah for forming an SIT after coming to power. This is the result of reinvestigating the closed cases… We hope to get justice in the Jagdish Tytler case also”.
What were the case’s arguments?
Sajjan Kumar’s name was absent from the case from the start, according to advocate Anil Sharma’s submission. Additionally, it was argued that the Supreme Court was still considering an appeal of a case in which Sajjan Kumar was found guilty by the Delhi High Court.
In his argument, additional public prosecutor Manish Rawat said that the victim was unaware of the accused. She mentioned Sajjan Kumar in her statement after learning who he was.
Senior counsel H S Phoolka had previously represented riot victims and contended that the police investigations in the Sikh riot cases were skewed.
Citing the Delhi High Court’s ruling, Phoolka argued that the episode was not unique and was rather a component of a larger atrocity.
It was further asserted that 2700 Sikhs were killed in Delhi in 1984, according to government estimates.
Who is Sajjan Kumar?
In 2018, former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar was found guilty in the 1984 Sikh riots case and given a life sentence.
He was sworn in as a Delhi Councillor in 1977, the same year he was first elected to the Delhi Municipal Corporation. He won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Outer Delhi and was an active politician from Delhi.
Witnesses claim that Sajjan Kumar incited mobs to assault the Sikh community on November 1, 1984, led retaliation for the death of Congress prime minister Indira Gandhi, who had been shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards the day before.
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