GUWAHATI: Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday, February 12, convicted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in connection with the murders of two individuals during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the Saraswati Vihar area.
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The verdict was pronounced by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja and the sentencing arguments have been scheduled for February 18.
Kumar, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, was produced before the court for the ruling. The case pertains to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son, Tarundeep Singh, on November 1, 1984. Initially registered at the Punjabi Bagh police station, the case was later investigated by a special investigation team (SIT).
The prosecution argued that an armed mob carried out widespread looting, arson, and destruction of Sikh properties following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The complainant, Jaswant Singh’s wife, alleged that her home was attacked, her husband and son were killed, and their belongings were looted before the house was set on fire.
On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kumar, noting sufficient material to establish a "prima facie" case. It also observed that he was not only part of the violent mob but had actively led it.
The upcoming sentencing is expected to determine his punishment.
Relatably, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was a series of organised pogroms against the Sikh community following the assassination of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Government estimates projected that about 3,350 Sikhs were killed in the aftermath nationwide, but other sources estimated the number of deaths somewhere between 8,000 and 17,000.
