Sajjan Kumar gets life imprisonment in 1984 riots case, Rouse Avenue Court orders

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The case pertains to burning alive two Sikh citizens Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar area on 1 November 1984. During this time, Sikhs were massacred and their houses were set on fire. The court had convicted Sajjan Kumar on 12 February.

Initially, an FIR was registered in Punjabi Bagh police station in this case. Later, a special investigation team formed on the recommendation of Justice GP Mathur Committee filed a chargesheet. The committee had recommended reopening of 114 cases, including this case.

The court, on December 16, 2021, framed charges against Sajjan Kumar for the offences punishable under Sections 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 302, 308, 323, 395, 397, 427, 436 and 440 read with Section 149.

The SIT alleged that Sajjan Kumar incited the mob to attack, following which the mob burnt Sardar Jaswant Singh and Sardar Tarundeep Singh alive and looted their household goods. During this, their house was also burnt. Many people of the house were also injured in this attack.

Social worker Sonu Jandiala, who helped the victim’s family, had demanded death penalty for the accused in a conversation with IANS. He had said that tyres were set on fire and hung around the necks of Jaswant Singh and Tarundeep Singh. He had said, “Today many people are no more in this world. May their souls rest in peace, therefore it is important that these people be awarded death penalty. The cup of sins of these sinners is full. Earlier all hope had died, but now hope has risen.”

Rouse Avenue Court recorded the statement of Sajjan Kumar on 1 November 2023. He denied all the allegations against him. Thousands of people from the Sikh community were targeted in these riots.