A Delhi court has sentenced former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment for his role in the murder of Jaswant Singh and his son, Tarundeep Singh, during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The verdict was pronounced on Tuesday by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, bringing a significant closure to one of the long-standing cases of the riots that followed the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The prosecution, along with the complainant—Jaswant Singh’s wife—had sought the death penalty for Kumar. However, the court ruled in favor of life imprisonment, the minimum sentence prescribed for murder, while refraining from imposing capital punishment.
Earlier, on February 12, the court had convicted Kumar and directed Tihar Central Jail authorities to conduct his psychiatric and psychological evaluation, following a Supreme Court order requiring such assessments in cases that could lead to the death penalty. Kumar remains incarcerated in Tihar Jail.
The case was initially registered at Punjabi Bagh Police Station before being handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for further probe. The prosecution argued that a violent mob, armed with deadly weapons, had unleashed large-scale looting, arson, and destruction of Sikh properties as retribution for Indira Gandhi’s assassination. According to the complainant, the mob attacked their house, killing her husband and son, looting valuables, and setting the residence on fire.
This latest verdict is part of the ongoing legal proceedings related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Sikhs across the country. The sentencing of Sajjan Kumar marks another milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims and their families.