Delhi Court Convicts Sajjan Kumar for 1984 Sikh Killings

On 12 Feb, the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi convicted Sajjan Kumar—three term Member of Parliament from the Indian National Congress (INC)—for the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the 1984 Sikh genocide. The arguments on the sentence are scheduled for 21 Feb. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) proved Kumar incited a mob in Saraswati Vihar, leading to the victims being burned alive. Singh's wife (name withheld) had registered a complaint against Kumar for killing her husband and son during the violence which erupted following former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 in which thousands of Sikhs were killed in Delhi and throughout India. Kumar is already serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail for the killing of five Sikhs at Raj Nagar. He now faces a maximum penalty of death. Survivor families welcomed the decision and have called for an exemplary sentence. Sikh groups, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, applauded the conviction but urged the Union government to expedite all genocide-related trials. Many have demanded capital punishment for Kumar, arguing that burning people alive required the harshest retribution. A parallel affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court of India revealed that while 650 cases were initially filed, convictions occurred in only 39 cases, highlighting a stark discrepancy between the scale of violence and the limited number of guilty verdicts. Sajjan Kumar’s conviction is seen as a vital milestone against impunity for those shielded by political influence. Legal experts note that this conviction may set a precedent for other pending appeals involving 1984 killings, especially the ongoing trial of another INC leader Jagdish Tytler who too has escaped punishment for the last four decades and potential charges against national INC leader Kamal Nath.