NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday awarded life-term imprisonment to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a murder case connected to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Special judge Kaveri Baweja pronounced the judgement for the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984. A detailed verdict is awaited. The court on February 12 convicted Kumar for the offence and sought a report from Tihar Central Jail on his psychiatric and psychological evaluation in view of a Supreme Court order asking for such a report in cases attracting capital punishment. The offence of murder attracts a maximum punishment of death penalty, while the minimum sentence was life imprisonment. The complainant, Jaswant’s wife, and the prosecution, had sought maximum punishment for Kumar. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail. 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, who is Jaswant’s wife, killing the men aside from looting articles and setting their house ablaze, the prosecution claimed. Kumar was put on trial after the court found sufficient material to form a “prima facie opinion that he was not only a participant, but had also led the mob”. According to a report of Nanavati Commission, constituted to probe the violence and its aftermath, there were 587 FIRs filed in Delhi in relation to the riots that saw killings of 2,733 people. Of the total, about 240 FIRs were closed by police as “untraced” and 250 cases resulted in acquittal. Of the 587 FIRs, only 28 cases resulted in punishments with about 400 persons being convicted. About 50, including Kumar, were convicted for murder. Kumar, an influential Congress leader and an MP at the time, was accused in a case over the killings of five persons in Delhi’s Palam Colony on November 1 and 2 in 1984. He was awarded life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court in the case and his appeal challenging the punishment is pending before the Supreme Court. Two appeals are pending before the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court against Kumar’s acquittal and life imprisonment, respectively.
