New Delhi, 12 February 2025: A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar of murder in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case related to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja scheduled a hearing on February 18 to decide Kumar’s sentence. The verdict had been reserved on January 31 after additional arguments by Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat. Earlier, on January 8, the prosecution sought more time to respond to points raised by the defense.
Kumar, 79, is already serving life imprisonment in another anti-Sikh riots case and remains lodged in Tihar Jail. He has been in custody since December 31, 2018, following his conviction by the Delhi High Court for his role in the killings of five Sikhs and the burning of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar, Palam Colony. The Supreme Court has since denied him bail.
The case, originally registered at Punjabi Bagh police station, was later transferred to a special investigation team. On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kumar, stating there was “prima facie” evidence against him.
According to the prosecution, a violent mob armed with deadly weapons looted and torched Sikh properties in retaliation for the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
The attack on the complainant’s house resulted in the deaths of her husband and son, with their home also set ablaze.
The court order stated that Kumar was not only present at the scene but played an active role in leading the mob. The 1984 riots, which erupted after Gandhi was killed by her Sikh bodyguards, left around 3,000 people dead, mostly from the Sikh community.
