New Delhi: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday sentenced former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in in a murder case linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. The prosecution had sought death penalty for the former Congress MP. The case is related to the killing of a father-son duo.
Kumar was convicted in the case on February 12 by the court. The conviction order was passed by Special judge Kaveri Baweja. In December last year, Special judge Kaveri Baweja reserved the verdict after the prosecution completed its arguments.
Reactions By Sikh Leaders:
Delhi Sikh leaders expressed disappointment over the quantum of punishment for Kumar. Notably, Sikh organisations were demanding Death penalty for the former Congress MP.
“We are upset that someone like Sajjan Kumar was not given the death penalty. I believe if he had been given a death sentence, it would have been better, and we would have felt satisfied...After 41 years, even if he got life imprisonment, justice has prevailed. I respect the verdict of the court,” Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) General Secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon told reporters.
Meanwhile, Sikh leader Gurlad Singh, sttaed, “We will not accept anything less than the death penalty. We are not happy with the verdict of the court. We will appeal to the govt to go to a higher court and announce death penalty for Sajjan Kumar.”
All About The Case:
The case is related to the killings Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984, in Delhi's Saraswati Vihar.
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".
The former Congress MP is currently serving a life sentence in Tihar jail in another anti-Sikh riots case in Delhi Cantt.
