Sajjan Kumar gets life imprisonment in anti-Sikh riots

Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in Delhi. Special Judge Kaveri Baveja of Rouse Avenue Court has pronounced the verdict against Sajjan Kumar in the case of murder of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar, Delhi on November 1, 1984. Earlier, Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life imprisonment in another case as well.

The court had held Sajjan Kumar guilty of the crime on February 12 and sought a report from Tihar authorities on his mental and psychological condition. Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life imprisonment, giving justice to the victims after 41 years.
Why was there no death penalty
The Sikh community and the complainant had demanded death penalty for Sajjan Kumar. However, the court has sentenced him to life imprisonment. Explaining the reason for this, lawyer HS Phoolka said, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has sentenced Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in two cases – murder and setting houses on fire. The judge has written in the verdict that death penalty has not been given because Sajjan Kumar is 80 years old and is suffering from many diseases. In such a situation, the judge has given the maximum possible punishment of life imprisonment.

Initially, a case was registered in this case at Punjabi Bagh police station, but later a special investigation team took over the investigation. The court found a ‘prima facie’ case against Sajjan Kumar and framed charges on December 16, 2021.

The prosecution has alleged that a huge mob armed with deadly weapons carried out large-scale looting and arson and destroyed property of Sikhs to avenge the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Earlier during the hearing, a complainant had appealed to the Delhi court to award death penalty to Sajjan Kumar. It was at Sajjan Kumar’s instigation that the mob killed the complainant’s husband and son. Complainant’s lawyer H.S. Phoolka said, “As the leader of the mob, the accused instigated others to commit genocide and crimes against humanity and brutal murders. Hence, he deserves no less punishment than the death penalty.”