1984 Anti-Sikh Riots : Sajjan Kumar Convicted, Gets Life Sentence By Delhi High Court

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In a set- back to the Congress party, the Delhi High Court, which was hearing the 1984 Anti- Sikh riots case ,  has found Congress leader Sajjan Kumar guilty . According to various media reports, he has been given a life sentence in the riot case and he has to surrender before December 31, that is before this year ends.

The HC verdict  hence overturns the trial court’s judgment of the Congress leader which acquitted him in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel delivered the verdict in the case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

The Delhi HC in October had reserved its order on the Central Bureau of Investigation plea that challenged the trial’s court judgment where Sajjan Kumar was acquitted and five others were convicted in the case.

The CBI has filed an appeal challenging the acquittal of Kumar and said that the trial court “erred in acquitting Sajjan Kumar as it was he who had instigated the mob during the riots”.

In 2013, the trial court had convicted five others – former councillor Balwan Khokkar, former legislator Mahender Yadav, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal – for their involvement in the case.Sajjan Kumar and five others were tried in the case involving the killing of five Sikhs – Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, who were members of the same family – by a mob in Delhi Cantonment’s Raj Nagar area.

The case against Sajjan Kumar and others was registered in 2005 on a recommendation by the Justice GT Nanavati Commission.