Sajjan Kumar: On Tuesday, a Delhi court sentenced Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress MP, to life imprisonment for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Kumar was found guilty of orchestrating the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh, who were killed during the violent riots that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The court determined that Kumar had led and incited a mob that specifically targeted the victims.
The 1984 assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards resulted in widespread violence against the Sikh community. Mobs, often egged on by political leaders, carried out attacks, killings, and arson across Delhi and other parts of India, fueling one of the darkest chapters in the country’s post-independence history.
Who is Sajjan Kumar?
Sajjan Kumar was born on September 23, 1945, to Raghunath Singh and Mee Kaur. He completed his education up to the matriculation level. Before entering politics, the 79-year-old Kumar worked as a corporator and ran a bakery business. He gradually rose through the ranks in local politics.
In 1977, Kumar was elected as a Delhi Councillor. His political career began to take shape as he became a member of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and later assumed the position of General Secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) in Delhi. He was a close associate of Sanjay Gandhi, the son of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In 1980, Kumar was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha from the Outer Delhi constituency as a member of the Congress party. His political career continued to flourish, with re-election to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and again in 2004, when he secured a remarkable 8.5 lakh votes, winning the Outer Delhi seat once more.
However, Kumar’s name became notorious due to his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. These riots broke out in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination and led to the deaths of thousands of Sikhs, particularly in Delhi. Kumar was accused of instigating mobs in areas such as Sultanpuri and Delhi Cantonment. Eyewitnesses testified that he delivered inflammatory speeches and even gave rioters money (Rs 100) and liquor to encourage the violence.
For years, political influence and witness intimidation hindered action against Kumar. In 1984, a fact-finding report by the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) identified him as a key instigator of the violence. Survivors of the riots confronted him at a police station, and Sikh refugees later refused his offers of aid.
It wasn’t until 2005 that the Delhi Police began seriously investigating Kumar’s role in the riots. The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), following a recommendation by the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission. The CBI uncovered evidence that Kumar had conspired with the police to eliminate his name from key eyewitness testimonies.
In 2010, Kumar was officially charged with murder, rioting, criminal conspiracy, and incitement to violence. Initially, in 2013, a district court acquitted him, but the CBI appealed the decision in the Delhi High Court. On December 17, 2018, the Delhi High Court overturned the acquittal and sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment for his role in the 1984 riots. The following day, he resigned from the Indian National Congress. Despite appeals to the Supreme Court, his conviction stood. The Supreme Court also denied his bail pleas multiple times in 2020 and 2022, citing medical grounds. However, on April 27, 2022, he was granted bail in one riot-related case, though he remained incarcerated due to his conviction in another case.
On February 12, 2025, a Delhi court convicted Kumar in a second case related to the 1984 riots. The case involved his role in inciting and participating in the brutal murders of Jaswant Singh and his son, Tarundeep Singh, on November 1, 1984. The two victims were set on fire by a mob of Congress supporters, who doused them in petrol. Kumar and his supporters also physically assaulted the victims’ family members. Fourteen eyewitnesses provided testimony against him during the trial.
On February 25, 2025, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja sentenced Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment for his involvement in these murders. The judge rejected the demand for a death sentence, emphasizing factors such as Kumar’s age, health, and his behavior in jail. The court had sought a psychological evaluation of Kumar, who is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail, before passing the final verdict.
This conviction further highlights the ongoing judicial pursuit of justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a case that has seen delays and obstacles over the decades due to political influence, witness intimidation, and the complexity of securing justice for the survivors.