Ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar Convicted In Murder Case Of 2 Sikhs During 1984 Riots

With a Delhi Court finding former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar guilty, it is his se♔cond conviction with respect to 1984 anti-Sikh riots and he faces two more𒈔 cases.

The conviction order was passed by Special🐽 judge Kaveri Baweja and the 🍸arguments on sentence will be heard on Feburary 18.

The case attracts a maximum punishment of death penalty and life-term imprisonment ✱as the minimum sentence.

Kumar was produced before courꦅt from Tihar jail for the pronouncement.

The case relates to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh𒊎 on November 1, 1984.

Though Punjabi Bagh police station registered the case initiallꦍy, a special investigation team later took over t🌌he investigation.

On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kuܫmar, finding a "prima facie" case against h🌠im.

According to the prosecution, a huge mob, armed with deadly weapons, resorted to large-scale looting, arson and destruction of properties of Sikhs to avenge the ass🌳assination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The mob attacked the house of the complainant, Jaswant's wife, killing her husband and son apart from looting articles and setting their house ablaze, alleged the prose꧒cution.

Putting Kumar on trial, the court order ꦅfound sufficient material to form a "prima facie opinion that he was not only a participant, but had a🤡lso led the mob".

Kumar was awarded life imprisonment by the high court in a case over the killings of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar෴ Part-I area in Palam Colony of southwest Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II.

His appeal a𝄹gainst the conviction is pendi♋ng in the Supreme Court.

Two other appeals are currently pending before the high court against his acquittal in tw🌌o other cases by t🎃he trial courts.

In the Delhi trial courts, there are two༒ cases pending against Kumar, inclꦫuding one related to the violence near a Gurdwara situated in Gulab Bagh, Nawada, in which a judge put him on trial in August 2023.

A Delhi court is al♉so conducting trial in a case related to riots in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas in 1984.

According to a report of Nanavati Commission, constituted to probe the violence and its aftermath, there were 587 FIRs filed in Delhi in relation🔯 to the riots that saw killings of 2733 people. Of the total, about 240꧂ FIRs were closed by police as "untraced" and 250 cases resulted in acquittal.

Only 28 cases of 587 FIRs resu𝄹lted in✱ convictions, in which about 400 persons were convicted. About 50 were convicted for murder, including Kumar.

Currently there are about 20 cases 🍒pending in various courts in the national 💝capital.

(With PTI inputs)