Delhi Court Sentences Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar To Life For Double Murder During 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots

On Tuesday (25 February), a court in Delhi sentenced former Congress member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment for a murder case tied to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The verdict for the purported murder of Jaswant Singh and his son, Tarundeep Singh, on 1 November 1984, was delivered by special judge Kaveri Baweja, NDTV reported.

The plaintiff, Jaswant's spouse, along with the prosecution, had demanded the death sentence for Kumar.

The crime of homicide could lead to the harshest penalty of capital punishment, whereas the least severe sentence was life incarceration.

On 12 February, the court found Kumar guilty of the crime and requested a psychiatric and psychological assessment from Tihar Central Jail. This was in compliance with a Supreme Court directive that such a report is necessary in cases that may result in the death penalty.

At present, Kumar is incarcerated in Tihar jail.

While the case was initially registered by the Punjabi Bagh Police Station, it was subsequently taken over by a special investigation team at a later stage.

The prosecution claimed that a massive crowd, wielding lethal arms, engaged in extensive theft, fire-setting, and damage to Sikh properties as retribution for the murder of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The prosecution alleged that a mob assaulted the residence of the plaintiff, who is the spouse of Jaswant. They reportedly murdered the males, looted possessions, and set the house on fire.