1984 Sikh Anti-Riots case: Former congress leader Sajjan Kumar sentenced life imprisonment

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court at Rouse Avenue in the Saraswati Vihar violence case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Earlier, on February 12, the special court had convicted Sajjan Kumar of the crime. While pronouncing him guilty, the court also sought a report from the Tihar Central Jail authorities on his mental and psychological evaluation.

Sentenced to life imprisonment

Sajjan Kumar had already been convicted in another case and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is currently serving a life sentence, and now, this is the second time he has been given the same punishment. In this case, the Delhi Police and the victims had demanded the death penalty, arguing that it fell under the "rarest of the rare" category. However, the court did not consider it as such. During the anti-Sikh riots that erupted in Delhi, Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh were killed on November 1, 1984. It is in connection with this case that Sajjan Kumar has been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Anti-Sikh riots

On October 31, 1984, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, which triggered widespread anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. Earlier, in June 1984, Operation Blue Star was carried out to remove Sikh militants, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who were hiding inside the Golden Temple, the sacred Sikh shrine in Amritsar, Punjab. Following this military operation, Indira Gandhi was assassinated in October, leading to the violent riots against the Sikh community.